resign

1 of 2

verb (1)

re·​sign ri-ˈzīn How to pronounce resign (audio)
resigned; resigning; resigns

transitive verb

1
: relegate, consign
especially : to give (oneself) over without resistance
resigned herself to her fate
2
: to give up deliberately
especially : to renounce (something, such as a right or position) by a formal act

intransitive verb

1
: to give up one's office or position : quit
2
: to accept something as inevitable : submit
resignedness noun
resigner noun

re-sign

2 of 2

verb (2)

re-signed; re-signing; re-signs

transitive verb

: to sign again
especially : to rehire (someone, such as an athlete) by means of a signed contract

intransitive verb

: to sign up again
Choose the Right Synonym for resign

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

abdicate, renounce, resign mean to give up a position with no possibility of resuming it.

abdicate implies a giving up of sovereign power or sometimes an evading of responsibility such as that of a parent.

abdicated the throne

renounce may replace it but often implies additionally a sacrifice for a greater end.

renounced her inheritance by marrying a commoner

resign applies to the giving up of an unexpired office or trust.

resigned from the board

Examples of resign in a Sentence

Verb (1) The senator was forced to resign his position. The newspaper's editor resigned after the scandal. He resigned from his job as principal of the school.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Earlier in the day, spokesman Matthew Miller denied that the United States had urged Henry to resign. Samantha Schmidt, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 In a leap of faith, Curry resigned from her job to start a non-profit. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Cesar Chavez's varsity football coach and athletic director resigned in September. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Cooper said Griffin was initially suspended without pay but has since resigned from her post. Union County Manager Brian Matthews said county employees are held to a set of standards. Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2024 Ford had been vice president when President Richard Nixon resigned on the brink of impeachment in 1974. Ron Elving, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024 After instituting accounting changes, Deloitte resigned as Byju’s auditor in June, citing the startup’s delays. Pallavi Pundir, Fortune Asia, 1 Mar. 2024 Lawyers for the state, meanwhile, argued that the NRA and other executives enabled LaPierre's misconduct and his ability to resign without consequence. Emma Bowman, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024 LaPierre, 74, resigned his position as CEO and executive vice president and stepped down from the organization last month after more than three decades at its helm. Allison Elyse Gualtieri, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The acquisition of Jackson, who played four seasons for the Detroit Lions, comes a week after the Rams re-signed Kevin Dotson, a guard the Rams traded for on the eve of last season. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The Dolphins re-signed Elijah Campbell, the team announced Friday, keeping the defensive back and special teams ace in Miami for the 2024 season. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 In his first season with the Texans, Schultz had 59 catches for 635 yards with five touchdowns, leading the tight end to re-sign with Houston on a three-year $36 million contract during the offseason. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 His next objective is to re-sign with the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2020 NFL Draft. Jeff Fedotin, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Thanks to owning his Bird’s Rights — which gives teams the ability to exceed their salary cap to re-sign their own free agents — Charlotte can offer Bridges an extra year, which amounts to extra dollars. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024 One obvious option: re-sign Azeez Al-Shaair, who, after playing this past season in Tennessee, attended the 49ers’ playoff opener and even joined the linebackers’ pregame huddle. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 General manager Brett Veach reiterated Tuesday at the NFL Combine that the team’s two top offseason priorities were working to re-sign defensive lineman Chris Jones and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 And in an ironic twist, the episode ends with a triumphant Toto Wolff celebrating Hamilton’s decision to re-sign with the team through 2025. Sahil Kapur, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'resign.' 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

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French resigner, from Latin resignare, literally, to unseal, cancel, from re- + signare to sign, seal — more at sign

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1805, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of resign was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near resign

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

resign

verb
re·​sign ri-ˈzīn How to pronounce resign (audio)
1
: to give up by a formal or official act
resign an office
2
: to give up an office or position : quit
3
: to yield to without resistance
resign oneself to disappointment

More from Merriam-Webster on resign

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