Definition of renunciationnext
as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired his sudden renunciation of his smoking habit pleased his whole family

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of renunciation The tax applies to transfers of worldwide property, no matter when the expatriate acquired it, before or after renunciation. Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 This renunciation of her editorial work doesn’t appear in A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls, though Morgan leans heavily on Anderson’s writings to scaffold the book. Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2026 The Court held that Congress has no power under the Constitution to divest a person of his United States citizenship absent his voluntary renunciation of it. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025 The Sweet Dove Died is considered Pym’s most Jamesian work and there are inflections of the Master in the themes of falling out of love, renunciation, and collecting—the pursuit of beauty falling short. Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for renunciation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for renunciation
Noun
  • The tension in Hines’s version lies in Bessette’s refusal to conform to the role.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
  • And six in 10 view Republicans’ refusal to accept changes requested by Democrats negatively.
    Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The spiral of events that follow ups the pathos while quietly commenting on rigid patriarchal rules, male privilege, sanctimonious moral posturing, the denial of women’s bodily autonomy and contempt for otherness, things all still very much with us today.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
  • As her power-hungry characters go through the five stages of grief, denial is the hardest one to let go of.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Not one for false abnegation of words distorted by smears, Rushdie doubles down on his right to freedom of expression, defending his dissent from religious orthodoxy.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
  • That, for me, feels like an abnegation of our responsibility in theater.
    Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026

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“Renunciation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/renunciation. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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