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Definitions

abdicate

[ab-di-keyt] / ˈæb dɪˌkeɪt /
VERB
give up a right, position, or power
Synonyms
STRONGEST
forgo relinquish renounce step down vacate
STRONG
abandon abjure abnegate cede drop leave quit resign retire surrender waive withdraw yield
WEAK
bag it bail out demit give up leave high and dry leave holding the bag leave in the lurch opt out quitclaim sell out
Antonyms
STRONGEST
keep
STRONG
come continue defend do fight pursue remain stay win
WEAK
assert assume challenge claim defy hold maintain retain treasure usurp

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2006, when a popular uprising forced the king to abdicate, Thapa was already a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement and had been jailed several times for his role in street protests.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Yet sometimes miracles happen, and Senates don’t entirely abdicate their constitutional advice and consent roles.

From Slate • Oct. 4, 2025

They gave him a choice: face a commission of inquiry or abdicate, according to documents presented to parliament in India.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

Four days into the strike, the tsar was forced to abdicate, and the provisional government granted women the right to vote.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2024

By March 1917, Czar Nicholas II had been forced to abdicate the throne.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.