Disavow vs. renounce: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Disavow means to deny any responsibility for or connection to something, often disassociating oneself from it. Renounce means to voluntarily give up, abandon, or formally reject a claim, right, possession, or belief.
What they have in common
Both disavow and renounce involve rejecting, denying, or distancing oneself from something such as a belief, claim, association, or responsibility.
Examples
disavow
- The politician disavowed any knowledge of the illegal activities.
- She disavowed her earlier statements when new evidence emerged.
- The company disavowed responsibility for the defective products.
renounce
- He renounced his claim to the inheritance.
- They decided to renounce their old habits and start anew.
- She renounced her citizenship to become a citizen of another country.
Which one is more common?
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