Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense relinquishes, present participle relinquishing, past tense, past participle relinquished
verb
If you relinquish something such as power or control, you give it up.
[formal]
He does not intend to relinquish power. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: give up, leave, release, drop More Synonyms of relinquish
relinquish in British English
(rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ)
verb(transitive)
1.
to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
2.
to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
3.
to release; let go
Derived forms
relinquisher (reˈlinquisher)
noun
relinquishment (reˈlinquishment)
noun
Word origin
C15: from French relinquir, from Latin relinquere to leave behind, from re- + linquere to leave
relinquish in American English
(rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ)
verb transitive
1.
to give up; abandon (a plan, policy, etc.)
2.
to renounce or surrender (something owned, a right, etc.)
3.
to let go (a grasp, hold, etc.)
SYNONYMY NOTE: relinquish implies a giving up of something desirable and connotes compulsion or the force ofnecessity [we will not relinquish our advantage]; abandon, in this connection, implies a complete and final relinquishment, as because of weariness,discouragement, etc. [do not abandon hope]; waive suggests a voluntary relinquishing by refusing to insist on one's right or claimto something [to waive a jury trial]; forgo implies the denial to oneself of something, as for reasons of expediency or altruism[I must forgo the pleasure of your company this evening]
OPPOSITES: keep, retain
Derived forms
relinquishment (reˈlinquishment)
noun
Word origin
LME relinquissen < extended stem of OFr relinquir < L relinquere < re-, from + linquere, to leave: see loan
Examples of 'relinquish' in a sentence
relinquish
For your company, additional share capital could result in you relinquishing some control, while introducing your brother as another shareholder may put off external investors.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Whether the army will really relinquish control again is far from certain.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Those relinquishing claims to their ancestral homes would be given compensation.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The readiness of politicians to relinquish power amazes me.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The militias have relinquished control of the airport and largely vanished from the clogged streets.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
His lover has admitted her sin and relinquished her claim.
Christianity Today (2000)
Ministers of any government have no intention of relinquishing control over local government spending.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In power they have relinquished that role.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It requires a woman to trust her partner and relinquish control.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She relinquished all rights to motherhood.
The Sun (2010)
Would the army really relinquish power?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Suppose that a firm needs fresh equity capital but its present stockholders do not want to relinquish their control of the firm.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
He will also relinquish his role as chairman of the accountancy firm's global network.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Colleagues want some downtime, so they may relinquish power.
The Sun (2015)
If you make no personal plans, you are relinquishing control over your retirement.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The paradox of trust is that by intelligently relinquishing power, one gains it back many times over.
Geoffrey A. Moore INSIDE THE TORNADO: MARKETING STRATEGIES FROM SILICON VALLEY'S CUTTING EDGE (2001)
Do I relinquish all property rights about whether the police can film in my house?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
When people are convicted of crimes they do not, of course, relinquish all their rights.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In 1983, the junta relinquished power.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
These require you to face manipulative individuals, relinquish your rights unfairly or be exquisitely tactful when you'd be justified in blowing up.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
relinquish
British English: relinquish VERB
If you relinquish something such as power or control, you give it up.
He does not intend to relinquish power.
American English: relinquish
Brazilian Portuguese: renunciar
Chinese: 放弃 >权力或控制
European Spanish: renunciar a
French: renoncer à
German: aufgeben
Italian: rinunciare a
Japanese: 放棄する
Korean: 포기하다
European Portuguese: renunciar
Latin American Spanish: renunciar a
Chinese translation of 'relinquish'
relinquish
(rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ)
vt
[authority, control, claim]放弃(棄) (fàngqì)
(verb)
Definition
to renounce (a claim or right)
(formal)
He does not intend to relinquish power.
Synonyms
give up
leave
He left me standing there with all our bags.
release
drop
I was told to drop the idea.
abandon
They were persuaded to abandon their lawsuit.
resign
He has resigned his seat in parliament.
desert
Poor farmers are deserting their fields and looking for jobs.
quit
He figured he would quit his job before he was fired.
yield
He may yield control.
hand over
surrender
She had to surrender all rights to her property.
withdraw from
let go
retire from
renounce
He renounced his claim to the throne.
waive
He pled guilty to the charges and waived his right to appeal.
vacate
She recently vacated her post as Finance Director.
say goodbye to
forsake
She forsook her notebook for new technology.
cede
The General had promised to cede power by January.
repudiate
He repudiated any form of nationalism.
cast off
forgo
The men would not forgo the chance of a feast.
abdicate
Edward chose to abdicate the throne, rather than give Mrs Simpson up.
kiss (something) goodbye
lay aside
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abandon
They were persuaded to abandon their lawsuit.
Synonyms
give up,
resign from,
yield,
surrender,
relinquish,
renounce,
waive,
cede,
forgo,
abdicate
in the sense of abdicate
Edward chose to abdicate the throne, rather than give Mrs Simpson up.
Synonyms
give up,
yield,
hand over,
surrender,
relinquish,
renounce,
waive,
vacate,
cede,
abjure
in the sense of cede
Definition
to transfer or surrender (territory or legal rights)
The General had promised to cede power by January.
Synonyms
surrender,
grant,
transfer,
abandon,
yield,
concede,
hand over,
relinquish,
renounce,
make over,
abdicate
Nearby words of
relinquish
relieved
religion
religious
relinquish
relish
relocate
reluctance
Synonyms of 'relinquish'
relinquish
Explore 'relinquish' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of desert
Definition
to abandon (a person or place) without intending to return
Poor farmers are deserting their fields and looking for jobs.
Synonyms
abandon,
leave,
give up,
quit (informal),
withdraw from,
move out of,
relinquish,
renounce,
vacate,
forsake,
go away from,
leave empty,
relinquish possession of
in the sense of drop
Definition
to discontinue
I was told to drop the idea.
Synonyms
quit,
give up,
abandon,
cease,
axe (informal),
kick (informal),
terminate,
shun,
relinquish,
remit,
discontinue,
forsake,
turn your back on
in the sense of forgo
Definition
to give up or do without
The men would not forgo the chance of a feast.
Synonyms
give up,
sacrifice,
surrender,
do without,
kick (informal),
abandon,
resign,
yield,
relinquish,
renounce,
waive,
say goodbye to,
cede,
abjure,
leave alone or out
in the sense of forsake
Definition
to give up (something valued or enjoyed)
She forsook her notebook for new technology.
Synonyms
give up,
set aside,
relinquish,
forgo,
kick (informal),
yield,
surrender,
renounce,
have done with,
stop using,
abdicate,
stop having,
turn your back on,
forswear
in the sense of leave
Definition
to go away (from a person or place)
He left me standing there with all our bags.
Synonyms
give up,
abandon,
desert,
dump (informal),
drop,
surrender,
ditch (informal),
chuck (informal),
discard,
relinquish,
renounce,
jilt (informal),
cast aside,
forbear,
leave in the lurch
in the sense of quit
Definition
to resign (from)
He figured he would quit his job before he was fired.
Synonyms
resign (from),
leave,
retire (from),
pull out (of),
surrender,
chuck (informal),
step down (from) (informal),
relinquish,
renounce,
pack in (informal),
abdicate
in the sense of renounce
Definition
to give up formally (a claim or right)
He renounced his claim to the throne.
Synonyms
disclaim,
deny,
decline,
give up,
resign,
relinquish,
waive,
renege,
forgo,
abdicate,
abjure,
abnegate
in the sense of repudiate
Definition
to disown (a person)
He repudiated any form of nationalism.
Synonyms
reject,
renounce,
retract,
disown,
abandon,
desert,
reverse,
cut off,
discard,
revoke,
forsake,
cast off,
rescind,
disavow,
turn your back on,
abjure,
wash your hands of
in the sense of resign
Definition
to give up (a right or claim)
He has resigned his seat in parliament.
Synonyms
give up,
abandon,
yield,
hand over,
surrender,
turn over,
relinquish,
renounce,
forsake,
cede,
forgo
in the sense of surrender
Definition
to give (something) up voluntarily to another
She had to surrender all rights to her property.
Synonyms
give up,
abandon,
relinquish,
resign,
yield,
concede,
part with,
renounce,
waive,
forgo,
cede,
deliver up
Additional synonyms
in the sense of vacate
Definition
to give up (a job or position)
She recently vacated her post as Finance Director.
Synonyms
quit,
leave,
resign from,
give up,
withdraw from,
chuck (informal),
retire from,
relinquish,
renounce,
walk out on,
pack in (informal),
abdicate,
step down from (informal),
stand down from
in the sense of waive
Definition
to refrain from enforcing or claiming (a rule or right)
He pled guilty to the charges and waived his right to appeal.