abdicate

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English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

  • First attested in 1541.
  • From Latin abdicātus (“renounced”), perfect passive participle of abdicō (“renounce, reject, disclaim”), formed from ab (“away”) + dicō (“proclaim, dedicate, declare”), akin to dīcō (“say”).

Pronunciation [edit]

Verb [edit]

abdicate (third-person singular simple present abdicates, present participle abdicating, simple past and past participle abdicated)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To disclaim and expel from the family, as a father his child; to disown; to disinherit. [Attested from the mid 16th century until the early 19th century.]
  2. (transitive, reflexive, obsolete) To formally separate oneself from or to divest oneself of. [First attested from the mid 16th century until the late 17th century.]
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To depose. [Attested from the early 17th century until the late 18th century.]
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To reject; to cast off; to discard. [Attested from the mid 16th century until the late 17th century.]
  5. (transitive) To surrender, renounce or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; as, to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy; to fail to fulfill responsibility for. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
    Note: The word abdicate was held to mean, in the case of James II, to abandon without a formal surrender.
  6. (intransitive) To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or dignity; to renounce sovereignty. [First attested in the early 18th century.]
    • (Can we date this quote?) Edmund Burke:
      Though a king may abdicate for his own person, he cannot abdicate for the monarchy.

Synonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Related terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

surrender or relinquish
reject
disinherit
renounce a throne
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Translations to be checked

References [edit]

Italian [edit]

Verb [edit]

abdicate

  1. second-person plural present indicative of abdicare
  2. second-person plural imperative of abdicare

Latin [edit]

Verb [edit]

abdicāte

  1. first-person plural present active imperative of abdicō
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