Meaning & use

disown

verb·Academic

To refuse to accept someone, especially a family member, as belonging to you, often ending the relationship.

See it in a sentence

Her parents threatened to disown her if she dropped out of medical school.

The company publicly disowned the rogue trader whose decisions had cost millions.

A note on using this word

Disown is strongest in family contexts, implying a deliberate, often permanent, cutting of ties.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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