as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired the couple's sudden abnegation of life in the fast lane for work as missionaries stunned everyone

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of abnegation The life that Alharthi describes is one of almost saintly self-abnegation. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 May 2022 His naïve insolence punctures the vanities of other filmmakers while offering no alternative, and the movie that results is a joyless, confused self-abnegation. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022 That abnegation of critical judgment is the most important feature of the 1994 statement. Michael Bérubé, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022 Where to go in a world where every slight, every frown, every chagrin, every cloud and every rainy day is a cause for outrage, denunciation, shame, self-abnegation and maybe even a congressional investigation or two? WSJ, 14 June 2021 See All Example Sentences for abnegation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnegation
Noun
  • Still, despite its unevenness, a general lack of innovation, and the stubborn refusal to properly onboard new players, Wilds feels like the best Monster Hunter yet.
    Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2025
  • What To Know The confrontation occurred during a White House meeting where Trump questioned Mills about Maine's refusal to comply with his executive order banning transgender women from competing in women's and girls' sports.
    Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Enacted after the Civil War as a renunciation of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which held that Black people are not citizens of the U.S., the birthright citizenship clause has been relatively uncontested since 1868.
    Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2025
  • So the practice of love turns on a renunciation of control.
    Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Judge Tanya Chutkan’s denial of relief is a victory for President Trump, as anticipated here after the judge held a hearing on Monday.
    Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Those who don’t believe this are either in denial or are not paying attention.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Abnegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnegation. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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