repudiate Meaning & Definition
What Does Repudiate Mean?
Repudiate is used as a verb meaning to refuse to accept. It can also mean to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force.
Repudiate at a Glance
| Part of speech | verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ri-ˈpyü-dē-ˌāt/ |
| Syllables | 4 |
| Synonyms | renounce, contradict and deny |
| Antonyms | acknowledge, admit and allow |
| Verb forms | repudiates, repudiating, repudiated |
| First known use | 1545 |
Repudiate Definition (Verb)
- to refuse to accept
- to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force
repudiate a contract / repudiate a will
- to reject as untrue or unjust
repudiate a charge
- to refuse to acknowledge or pay
repudiate a debt
- to refuse to have anything to do with : disown
repudiate a cause / … unless they repudiated the failed policies of the past and took decisive action, the party might fracture or lose its hold on the electorate.
- to divorce or separate formally from (a woman to whom one is betrothed or married)
"The incident was witnessed by … the Marquess Zanipolo, who, in consequence, has already repudiated his unhappy bride."
Synonyms of Repudiate
Antonyms of Repudiate
Repudiate in a Sentence
repudiate a contract
repudiate a will
repudiate a charge
repudiate a debt
repudiate a cause
… unless they repudiated the failed policies of the past and took decisive action, the party might fracture or lose its hold on the electorate.
"The incident was witnessed by … the Marquess Zanipolo, who, in consequence, has already repudiated his unhappy bride."
vigorously repudiated the charge that she had lied on her résumé
the angry mother bitterly repudiated her teenaged daughter, telling her that she never wanted to see or hear from her again
we didn't like the terms, so we repudiated the contract
the producers of the hit TV show threatened to take the disgruntled actor to court if he attempted to repudiate his contract
repudiate a contract / repudiate a will
repudiate a cause / … unless they repudiated the failed policies of the past and took decisive action, the party might fracture or lose its hold on the electorate.
Word Forms & Grammar
re·pu·di·at·ed
re·pu·di·at·ing
re·pu·di·a·tor noun
repudiate
repudiated
repudiates
repudiating
repudiator
repudiators
repudiate (third-person singular simple present repudiates, present participle repudiating, simple past and past participle repudiated)
repudiate (comparative more repudiate, superlative most repudiate)
repudiate (plural repudiates)
Words That Rhyme With Repudiate
Origin of Repudiate
Origin 1: Latin repudiatus, past participle of repudiare, from repudium rejection of a prospective spouse, divorce, probably from re- + pudēre to shame
Origin 2: First attested in 1543; from Latin repudiātus, the perfect passive participle of repudiō (“to cast off, reject”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from repudium (“rejection, repudiation, divorce”).
First Known Use
1545
Repudiate Pronunciation
Repudiate is pronounced /ri-ˈpyü-dē-ˌāt/ and has 4 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (pyü).
Repudiate: Your Questions Answered
What part of speech is repudiate?
Repudiate is a verb.
What is another word for repudiate?
Words with a similar meaning to repudiate include renounce, contradict and deny. See the full list of repudiate synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of repudiate?
Antonyms of repudiate include acknowledge, admit, allow and avow.
What is the past tense of repudiate?
The past tense of repudiate is repudiated. The present participle is repudiating.