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GRE vocabulary

abdicate

verbHigh-frequency wordMore A words

to formally give up power or responsibility

Word origin: From Latin abdicare, to disown (ab- away plus dicare to proclaim).

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In a sentence

Abdicate in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing abdicate in a sentence.

The king chose to abdicate the throne rather than face a civil war.

Facing a constitutional crisis, the monarch chose to abdicate rather than preside over a war he could not condone.

Synonyms
Antonyms
claimassumeusurp
Usage & nuance

Using “abdicate” well

Abdicate implies a formal, often public surrender of authority or duty, frequently with a connotation of evading responsibility. It is commonly used figuratively, as in abdicating one's responsibilities, not just a throne.

Common questions

Questions about “abdicate

Abdicate (verb) means to formally give up power or responsibility
Here is abdicate used in an example sentence: "The king chose to abdicate the throne rather than face a civil war." Another example: "Facing a constitutional crisis, the monarch chose to abdicate rather than preside over a war he could not condone."
Common synonyms for abdicate include relinquish, renounce, resign.
Antonyms of abdicate include claim, assume, usurp.
On the GRE, abdicate clusters with relinquish, renounce, and resign in Sentence Equivalence. Its opposites claim, assume, and usurp signal a reversal toward seizing rather than surrendering power.
Yes. Abdicate is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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