disavow

verb

dis·avow ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇

disavowed; disavowing; disavows

Synonyms of disavow next

transitive verb

: to deny responsibility for : repudiate

disavowed the actions of his subordinates

: to refuse to acknowledge or accept : disclaim

party leaders disavowed him

… have publicly disavowed any claim on the Graceland estate.—

Dan Chu

disavowable

ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇-ə-bəl

adjective

disavowal

ˌdis-ə-ˈvau̇(-ə)l

noun

Did you know?

When is a vow not a vow? When it has been disavowed, for one. Let’s say you make a solemn pledge to eat green vegetables every day of the week and twice on Sundays. If a few months down the cruciferous road you decide such a diet is for the rabbits, you might disavow (that is, repudiate or deny responsibility for) your earlier vow. Or perhaps you stick to it, going so far as to eat nothing but brassicas 24/7. Well, in that case, your local chapter of the Carnivore’s Club might illustrate another meaning of disavow by disavowing you (refusing to acknowledge or accept you) as a member any longer. Now when is a vow not avow? You might be surprised to learn that vow and avow/disavow are not related. Though all three words came to English from Latin via Anglo-French, they have distinct roots: vow comes from the Latin verb vovēre, meaning “to vow,” while avow and disavow trace back to the verb advocare, meaning “to summon.” We stand by it: there’s no denying that disavow has history.

Examples of disavow in a Sentence

He disavowed the actions of his subordinates. She now seems to be trying to disavow her earlier statements.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Trump disavowed this plan during the election, but an analysis by Time.com has found that nearly two-thirds of the executive actions Trump has issued so far mirror or partially mirror proposals from Project 2025, including sweeping deregulation. —

Carlton Reid, WIRED, 27 Jan. 2025 Adams declined the opportunity to disavow Trump's support. —

Ben Adler, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025 Although Trump disavowed this document during the campaign, one of its architects has been named to head the White House budget office. —

Doug Criscitello, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 The tech mogul’s influence was powerful; the owner of social platform X ran a 20-hour campaign against the bill that was ultimately successful, prompting the president-elect to disavow the measure. —

Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for disavow