Word: abjure (verb)

Associations

"Abjure" means to formally reject or give up a belief, cause, or claim, often with a strong or serious tone.

• When someone abjures their religion, they officially say they no longer believe in it.
• A person might abjure violence, meaning they promise not to use violence anymore.
• In law or politics, a person may abjure allegiance to a country or leader. The word is similar to "renounce," but "abjure" often implies a more formal or solemn rejection, sometimes under oath or pressure.

Substitution

You can replace "abjure" with:

• renounce (to give up or reject something formally)
• reject (to refuse to accept)
• disavow (to deny responsibility or support) Using "renounce" is very close, but "abjure" often sounds more serious or official.

Deconstruction

• Prefix: "ab-" means "away from"
• Root: "jur" comes from Latin "jurare," meaning "to swear" or "to take an oath"
• Suffix: "-e" is just part of the verb form So "abjure" literally means "to swear away" or "to reject by oath."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where someone might abjure a belief or idea?
• How is abjuring different from just changing your mind quietly?
• Have you ever had to strongly reject or give up something important to you? How would you describe that feeling?