Meaning & use
renounce
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Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To declare formally that you are giving up a claim, right, title or position.
Grammar: Takes an object: renounce a title, renounce citizenship.
Patterns
- renounce something
- renounce your claim to something
The prince agreed to renounce his claim to the throne.
He chose to renounce his citizenship and move abroad.
She renounced the inheritance so that her brother could keep the farm.
verbtransitiveformal
To state publicly that you no longer follow or accept a belief, habit or way of life.
Grammar: Takes an object, and the break is public: renounce violence, renounce a faith.
Patterns
- renounce something
- renounce violence
The group publicly renounced violence and joined the peace talks.
He renounced his old beliefs after years of study.
She renounced smoking on her fortieth birthday.
Word forms
| third person singular | renounces |
|---|---|
| past tense | renounced |
| past participle | renounced |
| -ing form | renouncing |
Common combinations
- renounce violence
- Both parties agreed to renounce violence.
- renounce the throne
- The king chose to renounce the throne in favor of his daughter.
- renounce citizenship
- He renounced citizenship to avoid paying taxes.
- renounce a claim
- She renounced her claim to the estate.
- publicly renounce
- The minister publicly renounced the policy he had once defended.
- renounce your faith
- He refused to renounce his faith even under pressure.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relinquish
- Relinquish means to let go of something such as power or a hold, often reluctantly, and need not involve a public statement.
- abandon
- Abandon suggests leaving something behind completely, usually without ceremony, whereas renounce is a declared act.
- disown
- Disown means to refuse to accept a relative or creation as your own, which is narrower than renouncing a belief or right.
- repudiate
- Repudiate is stronger and means to reject something as untrue or invalid, rather than simply giving it up.
Opposites
Word family
- renunciation noun
- the act of giving something up formally
- renouncement noun
- a less common word for renunciation
- pronounce verb
- a different word sharing a Latin root, meaning to say or declare
- denounce verb
- to criticize something publicly as wrong
Commonly confused: renounce or denounce? renounce or pronounce?
renounce vs denounce
Denounce means to criticize others or their actions publicly. Renounce means to give up something of your own.
renounce vs pronounce
Pronounce means to say a word aloud or to declare something officially. It does not mean giving something up.
Practice
The politician promised to ___ violence and take part in peaceful talks.
Choose one answer.
To renounce violence is to publicly give it up as a method. 'Denounce' would mean to criticize others for violence, which is a tempting but different meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “renounce”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.