Definition of ABDICATE (original) (raw)
: to renounce a throne, high office, dignity, or function
The king was forced to abdicate.
1
: to relinquish (something, such as sovereign power) formally
2
: to cast off : discard
abdicate a responsibility
Did you know?
Give it up for abdicate, a word powerful enough to undo a coronation. If you need a term to describe formally throwing in the towel, this one should prove—perhaps ironically—a royal success. Coming from the prefix ab- (meaning “from,” “away,” or “off”) and the Latin verb dīcere (meaning “to speak”), abdicate is used primarily for those who give up sovereign power or who evade a very serious responsibility. English has dīcere to thank for a hodgepodge of other words, among them dictate, contradict, prediction, and the crown jewel of them all: dictionary.
Did you know?
Several words may be confused with abdicate through either a similarity of sound or of meaning. Among these are abrogate, abjure, and resign. All of these words have multiple meanings that are quite distinct from one another, yet each also has a degree of semantic overlap that renders them nearly synonymous with at least one of the others.
Abdicate is most often used to describe a head of state or member of a royal family voluntarily renouncing a position. It may also refer to the act of failing to fulfill a duty a responsibility. It shares this second meaning with abrogate (although the “failing to fulfill one’s duty” sense of this word is more common in the United Kingdom than in the United States). The senses of abrogate most commonly found are “to annul” or “to do away with.”
Abjure may be used to mean “to abstain from” or “to give up,” but often is used with the meaning of “to disclaim formally or renounce upon oath” (it comes from the Latin jurare, meaning “to swear”).
And finally, resign is often used with the meaning of “to give up one’s office or position.”
Despite the similarities among these words, they tend to be used in fairly specific settings. You would not typically tell your employer that you are abdicating your position in order to look for a better job; you would say that you are resigning. And when the king of a country renounces his claim on the throne to marry his one true love, he would be said to abdicate, rather than resign, his position.
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for abdicate
abdicate, renounce, resign mean to give up a position with no possibility of resuming it.
abdicate implies a giving up of sovereign power or sometimes an evading of responsibility such as that of a parent.
renounce may replace it but often implies additionally a sacrifice for a greater end.
renounced her inheritance by marrying a commoner
resign applies to the giving up of an unexpired office or trust.
Examples of abdicate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This decision not only undermines the reproductive rights of American women but also sets a perilous precedent for the court’s willingness to abdicate its own power. —
Steven Delco, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2025 The intervention in Syria also allowed Russia to assume the role of protector of Christians in the Middle East—a role that, in Putin’s view, decadent Western powers had abdicated, and a mission that fit neatly with Putin’s desire to present Russia as Europe’s last bastion of Christian values. —Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024 The illness had raised speculation that Charles may even abdicate the throne, a possibility royal experts say is unlikely but highlighted the challenges to his rule. —Hannah Peart, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2024 Ninety years ago today, the course of future Queen Elizabeth's life was forever altered when her uncle, King Edward VIII, chose to abdicate tthe throne in order to marry Wallis Simpson — casting the young princess on a path to one day reign. —Janine Henni, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abdicate 
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin abdicātus, past participle of abdicāre, "to resign, renounce, withdraw," from ab- ab- + -dicāre, ablaut derivative of dīc- (going back to *deik-) in dīcere "to speak, state" — more at diction
First Known Use
1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of abdicate was in 1548
Dictionary Entries Near abdicate
Cite this Entry
“Abdicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdicate. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on abdicate
Last Updated: 8 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!