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“abdicates”
abdicate (AB di kayt") (verb), abdicates; abdicated; abdicating
1. Edward VIII of England abdicated (vacated the throne) to marry a commoner.
2. He abdicated (abandoned) his responsibilities and fled.
3. To give up one's position, office, or power: "Yielding to the pressure of public opinion, the king abdicated his throne."
2. He abdicated (abandoned) his responsibilities and fled.
3. To give up one's position, office, or power: "Yielding to the pressure of public opinion, the king abdicated his throne."
"The outraged citizens forced the king to abdicate the throne."
The term abdicate came from Latin ab-, "away" + dicare, "to proclaim". So, when a king abdicates, he "proclaims away" his throne.
This entry is located in the following unit:
English Words in Action, Group A +
(page 1)
Word Entries at Word Info:
“abdicates”
abdicate (AB duh kayt") (verb), abdicates; abdicated; abdicating
1. To formally renounce, which is commonly done by a monarch of a throne; to vacate a throne, to relinquish, to abandon: "Edward VIII of England abdicated the throne so he could marry a commoner."
3. To proclaim or declare to be no longer one's own, to disclaim, disown, cast off; especially, to disown or disinherit children: "Gary Brown abdicated his responsibilities as a husband and father and never returned to be with his wife and children."
4. To formally give up (a right, trust, office, or dignity); to renounce, to lay down, to surrender, to abandon; at first implying voluntary renunciation, but now including the idea of abandonment by default: "Governments, both national and local, seem to be abdicating their responsibilities to provide a good education to all of their citizens by greatly reducing the expenditures that are needed."
"A king who abdicates, renounces, or swears away his kingly privileges and duties."
2. To refuse to accept an obligation or responsibility: "When the author agreed to edit the book, she was abdicating her contract when she suddenly quit without notice."3. To proclaim or declare to be no longer one's own, to disclaim, disown, cast off; especially, to disown or disinherit children: "Gary Brown abdicated his responsibilities as a husband and father and never returned to be with his wife and children."
4. To formally give up (a right, trust, office, or dignity); to renounce, to lay down, to surrender, to abandon; at first implying voluntary renunciation, but now including the idea of abandonment by default: "Governments, both national and local, seem to be abdicating their responsibilities to provide a good education to all of their citizens by greatly reducing the expenditures that are needed."