abnegate

verb

ab·​ne·​gate ˈab-ni-ˌgāt 

abnegated; abnegating

transitive verb

1

formal : deny, renounce

abnegated their God

2

formal : surrender, relinquish

abnegated her powers

abnegator

ˈab-ni-ˌgā-tər 

noun formal

Did you know?

Abnegate Has Latin Roots

There's no denying that the Latin root negāre, meaning "to deny," has given English some useful words, among them abnegate, which is used in formal settings to mean "to deny or renounce" (with responsibilities typically being the thing denied), and "to surrender or relinquish" (with personal desires or self-interest being the thing surrendered). Abnegate combines negāre with the Latin prefix ab-, meaning "from or away." (The related noun abnegation means "denial" or "self-denial.") Other negāre relations include negative, negate, renegade, and deny.

Synonyms

• abdicate
• cede
• relinquish
• renounce
• resign
• step aside (from)
• step down (from)
• surrender

Examples of abnegate in a Sentence

abnegated all claims to the deceased lord's domain

felt that if the Congress adopted these security measures, it would be abnegating the nation's fundamental commitment to individual rights

Recent Examples on the Web

Her sins are the sins of loving too much and in too self-abnegating a fashion. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2023

Abnegating this responsibility is going against the will of the people and we were voted in to protect the interests of the people. —Jan Engoren, Sun-Sentinel.com, 6 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin abnegātus, past participle of abnegāre "to refute, decline, deny," from ab- ab- + negāre "to say no, deny" — more at negate

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

abnegate

verb

ab·​ne·​gate ˈab-ni-ˌgāt 

abnegated; abnegating

formal

1

: to give up a right or privilege

abnegate her power

2

: to deny to oneself : renounce

abnegating outdated beliefs

abnegation

ˌab-ni-ˈgā-shən

noun