as in refusal
the act or practice of giving up or rejecting something once enjoyed or desired
the couple's sudden abnegation of life in the fast lane for work as missionaries stunned everyone
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Recent Examples of abnegation
Is that an abnegation of interviewer responsibility?
—
David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023
The life that Alharthi describes is one of almost saintly self-abnegation.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 May 2022
His naïve insolence punctures the vanities of other filmmakers while offering no alternative, and the movie that results is a joyless, confused self-abnegation.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022
The explicit and quasi-religious abnegation of the right to violent self-defense put the national committee at odds with one of its key allies during the Saturday march: Black Lives Matter.
—Samantha Eyler, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
See All Example Sentences for abnegation
David Marchese David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023
The life that Alharthi describes is one of almost saintly self-abnegation.
—Ron Charles, Washington Post, 24 May 2022
His naïve insolence punctures the vanities of other filmmakers while offering no alternative, and the movie that results is a joyless, confused self-abnegation.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2022
The explicit and quasi-religious abnegation of the right to violent self-defense put the national committee at odds with one of its key allies during the Saturday march: Black Lives Matter.
—Samantha Eyler, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2017
See All Example Sentences for abnegation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnegation
Noun
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The tension in Hines’s version lies in Bessette’s refusal to conform to the role.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
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And six in 10 view Republicans’ refusal to accept changes requested by Democrats negatively.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Annual renunciations surged to a record high of 6,705 in 2020, with numbers remaining elevated ever since, according to immigration services company Boundless.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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Oddly, the move comes not as a renunciation but as a new adventure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But on Wednesday, Tchekmedyian and Pringle reported that Bass was involved in the revisions despite her earlier denials.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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His defense of Poland’s actions during World War II and denial of any Polish role in the Holocaust has driven outrage from Israel, especially on account of his Jewish heritage, while winning him praise in Poland.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abnegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnegation. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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