Abdicate
Thrones, responsibility, and the last slice of pizza can all be surrendered with the same formal verb.
Learn This WordMeaning
To renounce a throne, high office, or responsibility; to fail to fulfill a duty.
Memory trick
AB-DICATE: away (ab-) from speaking for duty, you step away from the seat.
Examples
The monarch abdicated in favor of a younger successor.
Leaders should not abdicate responsibility for safety to vendors alone.
He abdicated his role in the decision and left others to take the blame.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin abdicare "to disown, renounce," from ab- "away" + dicare "to proclaim."
Usage Notes
Royal sense is literal; metaphorical use is common for “ducking responsibility.”
Real-life contexts
Use for accountability: "Don’t abdicate ownership, name a DRI."
Use for parenting or leadership: "We can’t abdicate culture to HR alone."
Use for debate: "That abdicates the hard question."
Common Mistakes
Abdicate is not the same as “abdicate from” in standard English, use “abdicate the throne” or “abdicate responsibility.”
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Start LearningQuick Facts
Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
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