ABNEGATION Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

abnegation

noun

ˌab-ni-ˈgā-shən

Definition of abnegation

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abnegation That, for me, feels like an abnegation of our responsibility in theater. — Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026 In the latter’s rewrite of the Lancelot fable, the abducted Guinevere was elevated to a glamorous ice queen commanding knightly self-abnegation. — Tina Brown, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2022 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 See All Example Sentences for abnegation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abnegation

Noun

The ruling did not, however, address the question of the administration's periodic refusal since the ban to permit CNN's journalists into smaller spaces where the full press corps cannot fit simultaneously, such as Air Force One or the Oval Office.

— David Folkenflik, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
What makes the guest list truly striking is its refusal to stay neatly within the lines of traditional fashion.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of refusal

Noun

This renunciation has had little impact on their progeny, who already studied them for years and viewed their content as a portrait of a viable future.

— Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026
Then, over the following years, came sustainability and strict reuse and ascetic renunciation, and today, finally, its photo series and articles advocated for a mild, slightly quirky anticapitalist metaphysics.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026

Definition of renunciation

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abnegation

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“Abnegation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abnegation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abnegation

noun

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