Abjurare

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To renounce or reject a belief or allegiance formally and solemnly; to retract a statement or privilege publicly; to withdraw from a commitment or position with an oath or by solemn declaration
2. To formally disavow a previously held opinion or faith; to publicly take back a claim or endorsement of something; to abandon a commitment or affiliation through a sworn declaration
3. To solemnly renounce a belief or claim that was once accepted; to retract a previously made assertion or support publicly; to withdraw from a position or affiliation by making a formal vow or declaration

Etymology: "Abjurare" is the Latin source of the English verb "abjure," meaning to solemnly renounce a belief, cause, or allegiance. It is built from "ab," meaning "away from," and "jurare," "to swear," so its literal sense is "to deny on oath" or "to swear away." The Latin root "jus" (law) belongs to the same family, which is why the idea of an oath runs through the word. The formal sense carries a legal flavor that the root hints at. In medieval England, "abjuration" was a real legal procedure. A person accused of a crime who sought sanctuary in a church could confess and swear an oath to leave the realm, and the act of swearing this oath was called abjuration of the realm. The word therefore described a formal, sworn act rather than a casual change of mind. English took the verb directly from Latin in the late Middle Ages, and it has stayed close to that legal and solemn tone. Because it refers to a public, sworn renunciation, it is used more often for political or religious commitments than for everyday opinions.

Synonyms: renounce, recant, disavow, forswear, reject

Antonyms: accept, embrace, admit, affirm, support