disavow

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ/ UK /ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to deny any responsibility for or connection with something

The minister hastened to disavow the controversial remarks.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to deny any responsibility... deny disclaim repudiate renounce disown retractdisaffirm

Opposites

avow acknowledge affirm admit claim

Word family

Derived forms disavowaldisavowed

Related forms avow vow disavowal

Etymology

From Old French desavouer ('to disclaim'), from des- (Latin dis-, 'reversal') plus avouer ('to acknowledge, avow'), from Latin advocare ('to call to'), from ad- ('to') plus vocare ('to call').

desavouer Old French advocare Latin vocare Latin *wekʷ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

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# disavow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌdɪsəˈvaʊ/

## Meanings
1. to deny any responsibility for or connection with something

## Examples
- The minister hastened to disavow the controversial remarks.

## Synonyms
- deny
- disclaim
- repudiate
- renounce
- disown
- retract
- disaffirm

## Antonyms
- avow
- acknowledge
- affirm
- admit
- claim

## Derived Forms
- disavowal
- disavowed

## Related Forms
- avow
- vow
- disavowal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: desavouer
- Root: advocare
- Root: vocare
- Root: *wekʷ-

## Etymology
From Old French desavouer ('to disclaim'), from des- (Latin dis-, 'reversal') plus avouer ('to acknowledge, avow'), from Latin advocare ('to call to'), from ad- ('to') plus vocare ('to call').

## AI Etymology
Disavow is from Old French desavouer ('to disclaim'), from des- (Latin dis-, 'reversal') plus avouer ('to acknowledge, avow'), from Latin advocare ('to call to'), from ad- ('to') plus vocare ('to call'). Important recorded forms include desavouer (Old French), advocare (Latin), vocare (Latin), and *wekʷ- (Proto-Indo-European). The current sense covers to deny any responsibility for or connection with something. The wider family includes derived forms such as disavowal and disavowed and related words such as avow, vow, and disavowal.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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disavow

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