disavow

verb

dis·​avow ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇ 

disavowed; disavowing; disavows

transitive verb

1

: to deny responsibility for : repudiate

disavowed the actions of his subordinates

2

: to refuse to acknowledge or accept : disclaim

party leaders disavowed him

… have publicly disavowed any claim on the Graceland estate.

—Dan Chu

disavowable

ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇-ə-bəl 

adjective

disavowal

ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇(-ə)l 

noun

Did you know?

When is a vow not a vow? When it has been disavowed, for one. Let’s say you make a solemn pledge to eat green vegetables every day of the week and twice on Sundays. If a few months down the cruciferous road you decide such a diet is for the rabbits, you might disavow (that is, repudiate or deny responsibility for) your earlier vow. Or perhaps you stick to it, going so far as to eat nothing but brassicas 24/7. Well, in that case, your local chapter of the Carnivore’s Club might illustrate another meaning of disavow by disavowing you (refusing to acknowledge or accept you) as a member any longer. Now when is a vow not avow? You might be surprised to learn that vow and avow/disavow are not related. Though all three words came to English from Latin via Anglo-French, they have distinct roots: vow comes from the Latin verb vovēre, meaning “to vow,” while avow and disavow trace back to the verb advocare, meaning “to summon.” We stand by it: there’s no denying that disavow has history.

Synonyms

• contradict
• deny
• disaffirm
• disallow
• disclaim
• disconfirm
• disown
• gainsay
• negate
• negative
• refute
• reject
• repudiate

Examples of disavow in a Sentence

He disavowed the actions of his subordinates.

She now seems to be trying to disavow her earlier statements.

Recent Examples on the Web

Public figures — including Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager, Maria Shriver and Flavor Flav — batted back Butker’s assertions, while the NFL also disavowed his comments. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024

The state party later disavowed McClanahan after a photo resurfaced online of him saluting in front of a burning cross next to a person who was wearing what appeared to be a hooded Ku Klux Klan robe. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024

The document that largely defined American foreign policy through the Cold War years was written anonymously by a prickly and melancholic Midwesterner who spent much of the rest of his life disavowing the repercussions of his work. —Richard Babcock, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2024

The assertion that Jews were responsible for the killing of Jesus is widely considered an antisemitic trope and has been disavowed by the Roman Catholic Church. —Alex Lemonides, New York Times, 9 May 2024

The state party has since disavowed McClanahan after a photo resurfaced online of him saluting in front of a burning cross next to a person who was wearing what appeared to be a hooded Ku Klux Klan robe. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2024

The university’s major Jewish organizations have disavowed, criticized or ignored the protesters. —Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2024

In the days following the Hamas attack, a coalition of Harvard student groups released a joint statement holding Israel responsible for the attack – a statement that some of the groups’ members later disavowed. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024

Advertisement The spokesman soon disavowed the account, according to ESPN, and replaced it with the allegation that Mizuhara stole the money through wire transfers. —Nathan Fenno, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English desavowen, from Anglo-French desavouer, from des- dis- + avouer to avow

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

disavow

verb

dis·​avow ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇ 

: to deny having, knowing, or being responsible for

will disavow any knowledge of your activities

disavowal

-ˈvau̇(-ə)l 

noun