renegade

1 of 3

noun

ren·​e·​gade ˈre-ni-ˌgād 

1

: a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another

2

: an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior

renegade

2 of 3

verb

renegaded; renegading

intransitive verb

: to become a renegade

renegade

3 of 3

adjective

1

: having deserted a faith, cause, or religion for a hostile one

2

: having rejected tradition : unconventional

Synonyms

Noun

• apostate
• defector
• deserter
• recreant

Examples of renegade in a Sentence

Noun

The group was full of free spirits and renegades who challenged every assumption of what art should be.

She regaled him with stories about pirates and renegades on the high seas.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And at that time, very literally, renegades from the armed forces during the increase of the war in Vietnam, with more and more people being drafted and sent overseas. —Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 12 Apr. 2024

City leaders and police officers have responded to complaints about the renegade driver with warnings, citations, criminal charges and a lawsuit. —Mike Baker, New York Times, 29 May 2024

Verb

Do Not Disturb follows Karegeya’s life from African herd boy to BMW-driving government spy to renegade refugee who fell prey to the boredom, loneliness, and conspiracies of exile. —Claude Gatebuke, The New York Review of Books, 10 June 2021

Adjective

The renegade Flemish ensemble Graindelavoix renders the Mass almost as folk music from the steppes. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024

Miller recently released prequel film Furiosa, an origin story of Theron's title character starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the renegade warrior. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Spanish renegado, from Medieval Latin renegatus, from past participle of renegare to deny, from Latin re- + negare to deny — more at negate

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

renegade

1 of 2 noun

ren·​e·​gade ˈren-i-ˌgād 

1

: a person who deserts a faith, cause, or party

2

: a person who rejects lawful or acceptable behavior

renegade

2 of 2 adjective

1

: having deserted a faith, cause, or party

2

: having rejected tradition : unconventional