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View synonyms for

resign

[ ri-zahyn ]

verb (used without object)

  1. to give up an office or position, often formally (often followed by from ):

    to resign from the presidency.

    Synonyms:

  2. to submit; yield:

    to resign before the inevitable.



verb (used with object)

  1. to give up (an office, position, etc.), often formally.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. to relinquish (a right, claim, agreement, etc.).

    Synonyms: , , ,

  3. to give or sign over, as to the control or care of another:

    She resigned her child to an adoption agency.

  4. to submit (oneself, one's mind, etc.) without resistance.

resign

/ ɪˈɪ /

verb

  1. whenintr, often foll by from to give up tenure of (a job, office, etc)
  2. tr to reconcile (oneself) to; yield

    to resign oneself to death

  3. tr to give up (a right, claim, etc); relinquish

    he resigned his claim to the throne

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈԱ, noun
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of resign1

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English resignen, from Middle French resigner, from Latin “to open, release, cancel,” literally, “to seal back,” from re- re- + “to mark, seal” ( sign )
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of resign1

C14: from Old French resigner , from Latin to unseal, invalidate, destroy, from re- + to seal; see sign
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Democrats have called for officials - including Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, who created the group chat - to resign over the incident.

From

The Charity Commission is to investigate the bitter dispute that led to the Duke of Sussex and several others resigning from the charity he co-founded.

From

Chief Executive Anne Wojcicki will resign but remain on the company’s board, the announcement said.

From

Her resignation came weeks after a company board committee rejected her acquisition proposal, and last September, all independent board members resigned after failed negotiations with Wojcicki.

From

Sassoon and six other other high-level Justice officials resigned over the controversy, saying there was no legal justification to dismiss Adams' case.

From

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More About Resign

What doesresign mean?

Resign most commonly means to give up one’s job or position.

When used this way, resign can be used without an object, as in He resigned yesterday, or with one, as in She is expected to resign her position. In its general sense, resign means to yield or submit, as in When he knew he couldn’t possibly win the match, he decided to resign.

Example: They say he resigned on his own, but I think he was forced out.

Where doescome from?

Resign has been used to mean “quit” or “yield” since at least the 1300s. It is ultimately derived from the Latin verb , meaning “give up” or “unseal, invalidate, destroy.” Re is formed from the prefix re-, meaning “again,” and , meaning “to seal.”

When used in the sense of leaving a position, resign is synonymous with quit, but the two words can imply different things. To say that someone quit their job often (though not always) implies that they left because they didn’t like something about it. Someone can resign due to negative circumstances, but the word itself doesn’t imply this without additional context. For example, a politician might resign due to a scandal, or an employee might resign to protest a policy they consider unethical. But resigning doesn’t always involve negative circumstances. A person might resign because they’re moving or they want to change their career.

Sometimes, people are given the option to resign instead of being fired. This especially happens in governmental or political appointments.

A person who has resigned is often said to have tendered (or given) their resignation.

Resign can also mean “to give oneself up to a feeling or circumstance,” as in I just have to resign myself to the fact that I’ll never be a professional bowler.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to resign?

  • resignation (noun)
  • resigned (adjective)
  • resignedly (adverb)
  • resigner (noun)

What are some synonyms for resign?

What are some words that share a root or word element with resign?

What are some words that often get used in discussing resign?

What are some words resign may be commonly confused with?

How isresign used in real life?

Although anyone can resign from any job, the word is most commonly associated with politicians.

Try usingresign!

Is resign used correctly in the following sentence?

The majority of employees threatened to resign in protest of the new dress code.

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