as in resigned
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the revolutionary government forced Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian throne
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Recent Examples of abdicated
The Republican Congress has seemingly abdicated its role as a branch of government that provides checks and balances and oversight of the executive.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Earlier, King Philippe's grandfather, King Leopold III, also abdicated in 1951 amid a political crisis to safeguard the monarchy.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Accountability for public officials who have used the office for their own gain and abdicated the grave responsibilities vested in them is popular and a galvanizing political force.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Catholics also seemed to have abdicated their moral responsibilities to Trump.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
On March 28 Charles Albert abdicated after the decisive defeat at Novara.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated to his younger brother, King George VI.
—Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2026
Although the Shah never officially abdicated, the Iranian population voted in a national referendum on April 1 to become an Islamic republic and to make Khomeini the country's supreme leader, effectively replacing the Shah's secular authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western theocracy.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Earlier, King Philippe's grandfather, King Leopold III, also abdicated in 1951 amid a political crisis to safeguard the monarchy.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Accountability for public officials who have used the office for their own gain and abdicated the grave responsibilities vested in them is popular and a galvanizing political force.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Catholics also seemed to have abdicated their moral responsibilities to Trump.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
On March 28 Charles Albert abdicated after the decisive defeat at Novara.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated to his younger brother, King George VI.
—Geoffrey Greif, Baltimore Sun, 28 Feb. 2026
Although the Shah never officially abdicated, the Iranian population voted in a national referendum on April 1 to become an Islamic republic and to make Khomeini the country's supreme leader, effectively replacing the Shah's secular authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western theocracy.
—Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abdicated
Verb
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Swalwell dropped out of the California governor’s race shortly afterward, and then resigned his seat in Congress.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Russini resigned from The Athletic last week.—
Kyle Hightower,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This suggests that Bronze Age individuals relinquished pieces of their wealth as a sacred offering.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Siavash Ghoreishi, a pediatrician in private practice, and Jila Khorsand, a pathologist with a large medical group, both relinquished their medical licenses shortly after their daughter's death and have disputed Scott's claims.—
Juliet Pennington,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abdicated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abdicated. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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