relinquish

verb

re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish How to pronounce relinquish (audio)
-ˈlin-
relinquished; relinquishing; relinquishes
Synonyms of relinquishnext

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 How to pronounce relinquish (audio)
-ˈlin-
noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In addition there are concerns about relinquishing control of monetary policy as countries in the euro zone are subject to decisions by the ECB, Tursa added. — Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 10 June 2025 The nonprofit Consumer Watchdog argued that the bill would relinquish state control of California’s famously ambitious clean energy policies. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 6 June 2025 Advertisement Advertisement Supporters frame baby drop boxes as a beautiful solution for all parties involved—relinquishing parents, infants anonymously surrendered, and families who eventually adopt them. — Time, 28 May 2025 And one commencement speaker—musician Evelyn Harris at Smith College—relinquished her honorary degree after admitting that parts of her speech were plagiarized. — Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for relinquish

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of relinquish was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

relinquent
relinquish
reliquary
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relinquish. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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Kids Definition

relinquish

verb
re·​lin·​quish ri-ˈliŋ-kwish How to pronounce relinquish (audio)
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 How to pronounce relinquish (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on relinquish

Nglish: Translation of relinquish for Spanish Speakers

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