disown

verb

dis·​own (ˌ)dis-ˈōn 

disowned; disowning; disowns

transitive verb

1

: to refuse to acknowledge as one's own

2

a

: to repudiate any connection or identification with

b

: to deny the validity or authority of

disownment

(ˌ)dis-ˈōn-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• contradict
• deny
• disaffirm
• disallow
• disavow
• disclaim
• disconfirm
• gainsay
• negate
• negative
• refute
• reject
• repudiate

Examples of disown in a Sentence

Her parents threatened to disown her if she didn't go back to school.

He was disowned for bringing shame to the family.

Recent Examples on the Web

This fear can quickly translate into passively or actively disowning the changes. —Peter Follows, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

When his older brother, Fred Jr. (Charlie Carrick), spurned the family business to follow his dream of becoming a pilot, their father all but disowned him. —EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024

Eisenhower finally disowned Menderes in late 1959, refusing Turkey further financial aid. —Halil Karaveli, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2014

But, despite the best efforts of the characters to disown and ignore their physical forms, their bodies stubbornly reassert their existence. —Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

disown

verb

dis·​own (ˈ)dis-ˈōn 

: to refuse to accept any longer as one's own : renounce, disclaim