Abdicate
/ˈæbdɪˌkeɪt/
verbC2
Definition
Abdicate means to officially leave or give up a high position or responsibility, often used when a king, queen, or leader stops being in charge. It is a formal and serious decision to no longer hold power or duties.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
To give up a royal position or throne
- •The king decided to abdicate the throne after many years.
- •Queen Elizabeth never abdicated during her lifetime.
- •The prince will abdicate in favor of his younger brother.
To give up a responsibility or duty (less common, formal)
- •The CEO abdicated responsibility for the company's failure.
- •She abdicated her role as team leader because of health issues.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "abdicate" like "give up," but for very important jobs, especially kings or queens leaving their throne.
- ✓Picture a king taking off his crown and stepping down from his throne in a big, serious room.
- ✓It's the feeling of deciding you cannot or do not want to be the leader anymore, even if it is hard.
- ✓Sounds like "AB-dee-kate" → Imagine someone saying "I ABandon my role" + "KATE" as a name of a queen stepping down.
- ✓Think of stories or movies where a king leaves his kingdom to someone else or stops being king.
- ✓NOT like "quit" (which can be small jobs or tasks), "abdicate" is for very important, official roles.
- ✓NOT like "resign" (which can be used for many jobs), "abdicate" is mostly for kings, queens, or rulers.
- ✓NOT like "lose power" (which can happen by force), "abdicate" is a choice to give up power.
Try Other Words
- •Resign: to leave a job or position (Use when talking about normal jobs or roles, not kings or queens)
- •Step down: to leave a position of power or responsibility (Use in informal or formal situations for leaders)
- •Give up: to stop having or doing something (Use in casual contexts, less formal than abdicate)
- •Renounce: to formally say you no longer want something (Use in formal or legal situations)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "ab-" meaning "away from" or "off"
- •Root: "dic" from Latin "dicere," meaning "to say" or "to speak"
- •Suffix: "-ate," a verb-forming ending
- •Etymology: From Latin "abdicare," meaning to disown or renounce a right or position
- •Historical development: Originally used in legal and royal contexts to mean formally giving up rights or power
- •Modern usage: Mostly used for kings, queens, or leaders giving up their position, sometimes used metaphorically for giving up responsibility
Reflect & Connect
•Why might a leader choose to abdicate instead of staying in power?
•How does abdication differ from losing power by force or by election?
Fill in the blanks
1.The king decided to abdicate ___ the throne because he wanted to live a quiet life.
2.When a ruler abdicates, they ___ their power by choice, not because they were forced.
3.Abdicate is different from resign because it is used for ___ positions like monarchs.
4.She refused to abdicate her responsibilities even when the job became very ___.
5.To abdicate usually means to give up power completely, not just to ___ temporarily.
6.When a leader abdicates, the next person in line usually ___ the position.
7.Abdicating can cause big changes because it ___ the normal order of leadership.