Resign

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈzaɪn/

Definitions

1. To voluntarily give up a position, office, or job, typically through formal notification
2. To formally relinquish a position or role by choosing to step down while usually providing official notice
3. To voluntarily abandon one's duties or employment, often involving a written declaration of intent to leave

Etymology: The most striking thing about "resign" is that its original sense was almost the opposite of stepping down: Latin "resignāre" meant "to unseal," "annul," or "cancel." A document was resigned by breaking its seal, which undid its legal force. The "re-" prefix reversed the action of "signāre," "to seal or stamp," so the word literally meant undoing a seal. From that legal meaning, the sense drifted toward giving something back or surrendering it. Medieval French "resigner" carried this idea of handing over or yielding up a claim, and English took the word from Anglo-Norman and Middle French. Only later did it settle on the modern sense of giving up a position or office, often with formal notice. English also has "resign" as a close relative of "re-sign," meaning to sign again. The two words share the same parts but split apart in meaning: one undoes a seal, the other seals anew. Both come from the same Latin root, which is why they look identical on the page but work in opposite directions.

Synonyms: quit, leave, step down, abdicate, retire

Antonyms: stay, retain, continue, hold, keep