relinquish

verb

re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish How to pronounce relinquish (audio)
-ˈlin-
relinquished; relinquishing; relinquishes

transitive verb

1
: to withdraw or retreat from : leave behind
2
: give up
relinquish a title
3
a
: to stop holding physically : release
slowly relinquished his grip on the bar
b
: to give over possession or control of : yield
few leaders willingly relinquish power
relinquishment noun
Choose the Right Synonym for relinquish

relinquish, yield, resign, surrender, abandon, waive mean to give up completely.

relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

Examples of relinquish in a Sentence

They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital. Emily Nussbaum, Discover, January 2000
In April of that year Albert Slyusar, one of the legendary figures of the Afghanistan war, had relinquished command of 103 Guards Airborne Division. Carey Schofield, The Russian Elite, 1993
The feedback seems to operate on the premise that people who relinquish the civilized art of maintaining creative cities are not to be entrusted with the risks of developing further. Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, (1984) 1985
The Major no sooner heard the voice, than he relinquished Mr Dombey's arm, darted forward, took the hand of the lady in the chair and pressed it to his lips. Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, 1848
I will not relinquish my rights. She was forced to relinquish control of the project. The court ordered him to relinquish custody of his child.
Recent Examples on the Web As a result of their double-digit loss in the Galen Center, the Wildcats relinquished ground to Tennessee and North Carolina in pursuit of the final spot on the top seed line in March Madness. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 McDaniel and Drew McKissick, her co-chair, relinquished their roles. Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 And there is skepticism regarding how much Abbas will be willing to relinquish his powers, or enact deep reforms that go beyond a change of faces in government. Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 The Gaels never relinquished the lead again and held on for their 20th straight home win in this series. Josh Dubow, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2024 Charlize Theron is lightening her real estate load once again, having chosen to relinquish ownership of one of her Los Angeles properties. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 Moreover, her grandmother wasn’t ready to relinquish her autonomy. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Although Cardenas, who is charged with defrauding state and federal governments, relinquished her seat on the City Council, her name will still appear on the March 5 primary ballot due to election deadlines. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024 The park is but one example of the city relinquishing control of an amenity or partnering with other public entities or nongovernmental organizations to make improvements. Detroit Free Press, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relinquish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relinquisshen, from Anglo-French relinquiss-, stem of relinquir, from Latin relinquere to leave behind, from re- + linquere to leave — more at loan

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of relinquish was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near relinquish

Cite this Entry

“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relinquish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

relinquish

verb
re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish How to pronounce relinquish (audio)
1
: to withdraw or retreat from : leave behind
relinquished their homes and sailed to the New World
2
: to give over to the control or possession of another
relinquish a title
3
: to let go of : release
relinquish your grip on the bar
few leaders willingly relinquish power
relinquishment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on relinquish

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