renounce

[ ri-nouns ]
/ rɪˈnaʊns /

verb (used with object), re·nounced, re·nounc·ing.

to give up or put aside voluntarily: to renounce worldly pleasures.
to give up by formal declaration: to renounce a claim.
to repudiate; disown: to renounce one's son.

verb (used without object), re·nounced, re·nounc·ing.

Cards.
  1. to play a card of a different suit from that led.
  2. to abandon or give up a suit led.
  3. to fail to follow the suit led.

noun

Cards. an act or instance of renouncing.

Origin of renounce

1325–75; Middle English renouncen < Middle French renoncer < Latin renūntiāre to bring back word, disclaim, equivalent to re- re- + nūntiāre to announce, derivative of nūntius messenger, news

SYNONYMS FOR renounce

2 resign, abdicate.
3 disclaim, reject, disavow, deny.

OTHER WORDS FROM renounce

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH renounce

denounce renounce

Example sentences from the Web for renounce

British Dictionary definitions for renounce

renounce
/ (rɪˈnaʊns) /

verb

(tr) to give up (a claim or right), esp by formal announcement to renounce a title
(tr) to repudiate to renounce Christianity
(tr) to give up (some habit, pursuit, etc) voluntarily to renounce smoking
(intr) cards to fail to follow suit because one has no cards of the suit led

noun

rare a failure to follow suit in a card game

Derived forms of renounce

renouncement, noun renouncer, noun

Word Origin for renounce

C14: from Old French renoncer, from Latin renuntiāre to disclaim, from re- + nuntiāre to announce, from nuntius messenger