abdicate

English

Etymology

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

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈæb.dɪˌkeɪt/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (CA) (file)

Verb

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

(transitive, obsolete) To disclaim and expel from the family, as a father his child; to disown; to disinherit. [mid 16th – early 19th c.]
(transitive, reflexive, obsolete) To formally separate oneself from or to divest oneself of. [mid 16th – late 17th c.]
(transitive, obsolete) To depose. [early 17th – late 18th c.]
(transitive, obsolete) To reject; to cast off; to discard. [mid 16th – late 17th c.]
- 1647 June 8 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Hall, “Bishop Hall’s Hard Measure”, in The Shaking of the Olive-Tree. The Remaining Works of that Incomparable Prelate Joseph Hall, D.D. […], London: […] J. Cadwel for J[ohn] Crooke, […], published 1660, OCLC 318422010, page 48:
  [W]e were legally call'd by his Majeſties writ to give our Attendance in Parliament, […] if we did not, we ſhould betray the Truſt committed to us by his Majeſtie, and ſhamefully betray and abdicate the due right both of our ſelves and Succeſſours.
(transitive) To surrender, renounce or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; to fail to fulfill responsibility for. [from mid 17th c.]
to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy
Note: The word abdicate was held to mean, in the case of James II, to abandon without a formal surrender.
- 1776, Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], OCLC 995235880:
  The cross-bearers abdicated their service.
- 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], OCLC 946162345:
  He abdicates all right to be his own governor.
- 1856, James Anthony Froude, History of England from the Fall of Wolsey to the Death of Elizabeth:
  The understanding abdicates its functions.
(intransitive) To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or dignity; to renounce sovereignty. [First attested in the early 18th c.]
- 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], OCLC 946162345:
  Though a king may abdicate for his own person, he cannot abdicate for the monarchy.

Synonyms

synonyms of "abdicate"

abandon
abjure
cast aside
cast off
cede
desert
disinherit
disown
forego
forsake
give up
quit
refuse
reject
relent
relinquish
renounce
repudiate
resign
retire
stand down
surrender
vacate
waive
yield

Antonyms

claim
grasp
maintain
occupy
retain
seize
usurp

Derived terms

abdicable
abdicant
abdication
abdicator

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *deyḱ-‎ (0 c, 53 e)

Translations

to disclaim and expel from family — See also translations at disinherit

Chinese:
Mandarin: 辭職／辞职 (zh) (cízhí)
Dutch: onterven (nl)
Finnish: hylätä (fi)
German: ausstoßen (de)
Italian: abdicare (it)
Macedonian: се откажува (se otkažuva)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: fornekte
Nynorsk: fornekte
Portuguese: deserdar
Serbo-Croatian: odreći (sh)
Spanish: abdicar (es)
Vietnamese: từ bỏ (vi), bỏ (vi)

to formally separate oneself from or to divest oneself of

to depose — see depose

to reject, cast off, discard

Chinese:
Mandarin: 拒絕／拒绝 (zh) (jùjué)
Dutch: weigeren (nl), afwijzen (nl), verstoten (nl)
Finnish: hylätä (fi)
German: verweigern (de)
Interlingua: abdicar
Italian: abdicare (it)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: avvise
Nynorsk: avvise
Portuguese: abdicar (pt)
Russian: отка́зываться (ru) impf (otkázyvatʹsja), отказа́ться (ru) pf (otkazátʹsja)
Spanish: abdicar (es)
Swedish: avvisa (sv)
Vietnamese: từ bỏ (vi)

to surrender or relinquish as sovereign power; to withdraw from filling or exercising

Bulgarian: отказвам се от (otkazvam se ot)
Catalan: abdicar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: (give up throne) 禪讓／禅让 (zh) (shànràng), (leave any position) 退位 (zh) (tuìwèi), 退出 (zh) (tuìchū)
Czech: abdikovat (cs)
Dutch: afstand doen van
Finnish: luopua kruunusta (give up throne); erota virasta, erota tehtävästä (leave an office)
French: abdiquer (fr)
Georgian: გადადგომა (gadadgoma)
German: abdanken (de)
Greek: αποποιούμαι (el) (apopoioúmai)
Italian: abdicare (it)
Latin: abdicō (la)
Maori: whakataka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: frasi seg, abdisere (no)
Nynorsk: fråseie seg
Polish: abdykować (pl) impf or pf
Portuguese: abdicar (pt)
Russian: слагать полномочия (slagatʹ polnomočija)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: абдици́рати impf or pf
Roman: abdicírati impf or pf
Spanish: abdicar (es)
Swedish: ge upp (sv), avsäga sig (sv)
Tagalog: magbitiw
Vietnamese: từ bỏ (vi)

to renounce a throne or other high office

Bulgarian: абдикирам (bg) (abdikiram)
Catalan: abdicar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: (give up throne) 禪讓／禅让 (zh) (shànràng), (leave any position) 退位 (zh) (tuìwèi), 退出 (zh) (tuìchū)
Czech: abdikovat (cs)
Danish: abdicere (da)
Dutch: ^{(please verify)} aftreden (nl), ^{(please verify)} troonsafstand doen , ^{(please verify)} abdiceren (nl)
Finnish: luopua (fi)
French: abdiquer (fr)
German: abdanken (de)
Greek: παραιτούμαι (el) (paraitoúmai)
Italian: abdicare (it)
Japanese: 退位する (ja) (たいいする, taii suru)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: abdisere (no)
Nynorsk: abdisere
Portuguese: abdicar (pt)
Romagnol: abdichêr
Russian: отрека́ться (ru) impf (otrekátʹsja), отре́чься (ru) pf (otréčʹsja) (от престола)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: абдици́рати impf or pf
Roman: abdicírati impf or pf
Spanish: abdicar (es)
Swedish: abdikera (sv)
Tagalog: magdimiti (formally)
Vietnamese: thoái vị (vi), từ ngôi

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Manx: ^{(please verify)} cur seose, ^{(please verify)} irree ass (post), ^{(please verify)} lhig voish (as right), ^{(please verify)} ceau (jeh) (as responsibility, etc.)
Slovak: (úradu) ^{(please verify)} vzdať sa , ^{(please verify)} odstúpiť, ^{(please verify)} zriecť sa

References

abdicate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Italian

Verb

abdicate

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

Latin

Verb

abdicāte

second-person plural present active imperative of abdicō