Abnegation
/ˌæb.nəˈɡeɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of renouncing or rejecting something, especially a desire, right, or claim.
Did you know?Abnegation comes from Latin abnegare, and its core logic is almost ritualistic: ab- means “away from,” while negare means “to deny” — a linguistic spell of refusal.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
abnegare
“to deny, refuse, disown”
Late Latin
Latin
abnegatio
“a denial, refusal”
Middle French
French
abnegation
“renunciation, self-denial”
14th Century
English
abnegacioun
“renunciation, self-denial”
Modern English
English
abnegation
“the act of renouncing or rejecting something”