Synonyms of renounce

renounce

verb

ri-ˈnau̇n(t)s 

1

as in to relinquish

to give up (as a position of authority) formally

in wake of the corruption scandal, the congressman was forced to renounce his seat in the House

Synonyms & Similar Words

• relinquish
• resign
• abdicate
• cede
• deny
• surrender
• waive
• abnegate
• step down (from)
• abjure
• disavow
• vacate
• disown
• step aside (from)
• abandon
• forsake
• disclaim
• demit
• yield
• give up
• hand over
• desert
• quit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• claim
• assume
• appropriate
• seize
• protect
• confiscate
• defend
• arrogate
• take over
• secure
• usurp
• safeguard
• guard
• wrest

2

as in to withdraw

to solemnly or formally reject or go back on (as something formerly adhered to)

after another failed romance he vowed that he was renouncing the world and becoming a monk

Synonyms & Similar Words

• withdraw
• retract
• deny
• repeal
• contradict
• relinquish
• abandon
• forswear
• refute
• abjure
• recant
• repudiate
• renege
• take back
• abnegate
• forsake
• disavow
• unsay
• disown
• spurn
• disclaim
• recall
• revoke
• gainsay
• negate
• surrender
• disprove
• controvert
• disagree (with)
• rebut
• dispute
• negative
• disallow
• give up
• back down
• backtrack
• back off
• bolt

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• maintain
• declare
• acknowledge
• claim
• assert
• admit
• affirm
• contend
• adhere (to)
• proclaim
• state
• defend
• support
• accept
• confirm
• endorse
• adopt
• uphold
• profess
• vow
• embrace
• avow
• back
• vouch
• espouse

Synonym Chooser

How is the word renounce distinct from other similar verbs?

The words abdicate and resign are common synonyms of renounce. While all three words mean "to give up a position with no possibility of resuming it," renounce may replace it but often implies additionally a sacrifice for a greater end.

renounced her inheritance by marrying a commoner

When could abdicate be used to replace renounce?

Although the words abdicate and renounce have much in common, abdicate implies a giving up of sovereign power or sometimes an evading of responsibility such as that of a parent.

abdicated the throne

When is it sensible to use resign instead of renounce?

While in some cases nearly identical to renounce, resign applies to the giving up of an unexpired office or trust.

resigned from the board

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of renounce

If an ancestor renounced citizenship, rights to Canadian citizenship end there. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026

Returning to the guitars that characterized the band’s earliest work without renouncing their latter-day synths, MacFarlane gives Graham’s ruminations an urgent tenderness. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026

Should the chain of citizenship break somewhere along the line, however, where an ancestor renounced their citizenship, rights to Canadian citizenship end there. —Vivian Song, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026

The German Jews were the founders of American Reform Judaism, which renounced dietary laws, bar mitzvahs, and Zionism. —Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026