relinquish meaning and examples

Meaning

Relinquish means to give up, surrender, or let go of something—often power, control, possession, or a right—willingly or unwillingly. It suggests a formal or decisive act of leaving something behind.

Grammar and Usage

• Part of speech: Verb (transitive)

• Typical patterns:

  • relinquish + noun
  • relinquish control/claim/position
  • relinquish sth to sb

Example: She relinquished control of the company to her successor.

Common Phrases

• relinquish control
• relinquish power
• relinquish rights
• relinquish claim
• relinquish position

Collocations

• Verb + relinquish: refuse to relinquish, forced to relinquish, decide to relinquish
• Noun + relinquish: relinquish authority, relinquish leadership, relinquish property
• Preposition + relinquish: relinquish to (someone)

Examples

1. She decided to relinquish control of the family business.
2. The king was forced to relinquish his throne after the revolution.
3. He refused to relinquish his claim to the property.
4. After years of service, she chose to relinquish her position as chairperson.
5. The team did not want to relinquish their lead in the final minutes of the game.
6. He finally relinquished the keys to his old car.
7. Parents sometimes struggle to relinquish authority as their children grow up.
8. She had to relinquish her passport while the visa was being processed.

Synonyms or Related

• Surrender
• Yield
• Resign
• Abdicate
• Waive
• Give up

Antonym

• Retain
• Keep
• Hold
• Maintain
• Preserve