Relinquished

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have surrendered control or ownership of something or to have ceded rights or claims willingly while also resigning from a role or responsibility voluntarily
2. To have let go of an entitlement or possession and to have willingly given up a claim while also stepping down from a duty or position
3. Yielded possession or control of something by choice ; stepped away from a role or responsibility willingly

Etymology: "Relinquished" is the past tense and past participle of "relinquish," and the verb carries its original idea of leaving behind in its root. Latin "relinquere" was built from "re-," meaning back or behind, and "linquere," meaning to leave. The Latin verb passed through Old French "relenquir" and Middle French "relinquir" before English took it up as Middle English "relinquisshen." The "linquere" element survives in a few other English words, such as "relict" and "derelict," which both come from the same Latin verb through different routes. Sanskrit "riṇakti," meaning "to leave," belongs to the same ancient family of words, showing that the sense of leaving behind goes back a very long way in the languages of Europe and South Asia.

Synonyms: abandoned, surrendered, released

Antonyms: retained, held