relinquish

verb

re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish 

-ˈlin-

relinquished; relinquishing; relinquishes

transitive verb

1

: to withdraw or retreat from : leave behind

2

: give up

relinquish a title

3

a

: to stop holding physically : release

slowly relinquished his grip on the bar

b

: to give over possession or control of : yield

few leaders willingly relinquish power

relinquishment

ri-ˈliŋ-kwish-mənt 

-ˈlin-

noun

Synonyms

• cede
• cough up
• deliver
• give up
• hand over
• lay down
• render
• surrender
• turn in
• turn over
• yield

Choose the Right Synonym for relinquish

relinquish, yield, resign, surrender, abandon, waive mean to give up completely.

relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

Examples of relinquish in a Sentence

They had turned to an open adoption after pursuing infertility treatments for 18 years, and the birth mother had agreed to relinquish custody at the hospital. —Emily Nussbaum, Discover, January 2000

In April of that year Albert Slyusar, one of the legendary figures of the Afghanistan war, had relinquished command of 103 Guards Airborne Division. —Carey Schofield, The Russian Elite, 1993

The feedback seems to operate on the premise that people who relinquish the civilized art of maintaining creative cities are not to be entrusted with the risks of developing further. —Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, (1984) 1985

The Major no sooner heard the voice, than he relinquished Mr Dombey's arm, darted forward, took the hand of the lady in the chair and pressed it to his lips. —Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, 1848

I will not relinquish my rights.

She was forced to relinquish control of the project.

The court ordered him to relinquish custody of his child.

Recent Examples on the Web

Menendez resigned from office following his conviction and relinquished his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee soon after his September 2023 indictment. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2025

What To Know Menendez's downfall began in fall 2023 when the charges were announced, leading to his relinquishing his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

That’s coming from the guy who is ranked No. 2 behind Sinner, who has held the No. 1 spot since last June and is not showing any signs of relinquishing it. —Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025

The United States built the canal but relinquished control of it to Panama, which Trump views as a mistake. —Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relinquisshen, from Anglo-French relinquiss-, stem of relinquir, from Latin relinquere to leave behind, from re- + linquere to leave — more at loan

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

relinquish

verb

re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish 

1

: to withdraw or retreat from : leave behind

relinquished their homes and sailed to the New World

2

: to give over to the control or possession of another

relinquish a title

3

: to let go of : release

relinquish your grip on the bar

few leaders willingly relinquish power

relinquishment

-mənt 

noun