Disavow definition

dĭsə-vou
disavowed disavowing disavows
See word origin
Frequency:
Disavow is defined as to deny any association or responsibility.

If you disinherit your child and say that he is no longer your son, this is an example of when you disavow him.

verb
0
0
To disclaim knowledge of, responsibility for, or association with.
verb
0
0
To assert to be wrong or of little value.
verb
0
0
To deny any knowledge or approval of, or responsibility for; disclaim; disown.
verb
0
0
To refuse strongly and solemnly to own or acknowledge; to deny responsibility for, approbation of, and the like; to disclaim; to disown.

He was charged with embezzlement, but he disavows the crime.

verb
0
0
Advertisement
To deny; to show the contrary of; to disprove.

Because of her dissatisfaction, she now disavows the merits of fascism.

verb
0
0

Origin of disavow

  • Middle English disavowen from Old French desavouer des- dis- avouer to avow avow

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From dis- + avow or from Old French desavouer.

    From Wiktionary

Disavow Sentence Examples

  • He could not disavow his actions, belauded as they were by half the world, and so he had to repudiate truth, goodness, and all humanity.

  • When the queen was dead, and some rumours of the kings intentions got abroad, the public indignation was so great that Henry of Richards councillors had to warn him to disavow the Richmond projected marriage, if he wished to retain a single lands at adherenf.

  • To disavow the acts and desires of the army and of the secret societies for defence with which all north Germany was honeycombed would be to imperil the very existence of the monarchy, whilst an attack on the wreck of the Grand Army meant the certainty of a terrible retribution from the new armies now rapidly forming on the Rhine.

  • Charles however did not scruple shortly afterwards to disavow his noblest supporter in order to become a king on terms dictated by Argyll and Argyll's adherents.

  • Bebel denounced this agitation as obviously directed against England; and the government thought it expedient to disavow the action of its too zealous allies.

More sentences

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near disavow in the Dictionary