Repudiating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of rejecting or disavowing beliefs or associations indicates a refusal to recognize or support a claim or obligation
2. Engaging in the formal dismissal of an obligation or association signifies a denial of acceptance or validity
3. The process of formally rejecting a belief or responsibility reflects an unwillingness to acknowledge or endorse a particular idea or commitment

Etymology: The Latin root behind "repudiating" was originally a matter of divorce. "Repudium" meant the rejection of a betrothal or marriage, and the verb "repudiō" extended that sense to casting off anything at all, from a bride to a belief. English took the verb from the past participle "repudiātus" and first recorded "repudiate" in 1543, so the word arrived with its legal and domestic associations still close to the surface. The "-ate" ending came into the picture because Latin verbs of this type were built from their participles, a pattern that gave English many verbs of the same shape. The present participle "repudiating" is simply that verb in its ongoing form, describing the act in progress: someone actively refusing to accept a claim, promise or duty.

Synonyms: rejecting, denying, disavowing, repulsing, refuting

Antonyms: accepting, embracing, acknowledging, endorsing, confirming