English Meaning & Definitions
To renounce or relinquish a throne, high office, or responsibility formally.
- “The aging king chose to abdicate the throne in favor of his eldest son.”
- “Governments cannot simply abdicate their responsibility to protect vulnerable citizens.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “abdicate”.
Derived from the Latin 'abdicatus', past participle of 'abdicare', meaning 'to renounce, reject, or disown', composed of 'ab-' (away, from) + 'dicare' (to proclaim, declare, or assign). Originally used in Roman law regarding the disowning of heirs or renunciation of public office.
Think of 'ab-' (away) plus 'dictate' (to give orders): to abdicate is to give away your position of command and stop dictating.
Frequently Asked Questions About “abdicate”
1. What is the meaning of “abdicate” in English?
In English, abdicate (verb) is defined as: “To renounce or relinquish a throne, high office, or responsibility formally.”.
2. How do you use “abdicate” in a sentence?
“The aging king chose to abdicate the throne in favor of his eldest son.”
3. What are English synonyms of “abdicate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “abdicate”?
Derived from the Latin 'abdicatus', past participle of 'abdicare', meaning 'to renounce, reject, or disown', composed of 'ab-' (away, from) + 'dicare' (to proclaim, declare, or assign). Originally used in Roman law regarding the disowning of heirs or renunciation of public office.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.