REPUDIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does repudiate mean? 

• REPUDIATE (verb)
  The verb REPUDIATE has 4 senses:

1. cast off

2. refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid

3. refuse to recognize or pay

4. reject as untrue, unfounded, or unjust

  Familiarity information: REPUDIATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REPUDIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they repudiate    ... he / she / it repudiates   
Past simple: repudiated   
Past participle: repudiated   
-ing form: repudiating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cast off

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

disown; renounce; repudiate

Context example:

The parents repudiated their son

Hypernyms (to "repudiate" is one way to...):

reject (refuse to accept or acknowledge)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "repudiate"):

apostatise; apostatize; tergiversate (abandon one's beliefs or allegiances)

abjure; forswear; recant; resile; retract (formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure)

swallow; take back; unsay; withdraw (take back what one has said)

rebut; refute (overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof)

deny (refuse to accept or believe)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

repudiation (rejecting or disowning or disclaiming as invalid)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

The woman repudiated the divorce settlement

Hypernyms (to "repudiate" is one way to...):

reject (refuse to accept or acknowledge)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

repudiation (refusal to acknowledge or pay a debt or honor a contract (especially by public authorities))

repudiative (rejecting emphatically; e.g. refusing to pay or disowning)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Refuse to recognize or pay

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

repudiate a debt

Hypernyms (to "repudiate" is one way to...):

decline; refuse (show unwillingness towards)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

repudiation (refusal to acknowledge or pay a debt or honor a contract (especially by public authorities))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Reject as untrue, unfounded, or unjust

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She repudiated the accusations

Hypernyms (to "repudiate" is one way to...):

deny (declare untrue; contradict)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

repudiation (the exposure of falseness or pretensions)

repudiative (rejecting emphatically; e.g. refusing to pay or disowning)

 Context examples 

I could tell you the moon is made of green cheese and you would subscribe to the notion, at least you would not repudiate it, because I've got dollars, mountains of them.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Mr. Micawber sat in his elbow-chair, with his eyebrows raised; half receiving and half repudiating Mrs. Micawber's views as they were stated, but very sensible of their foresight.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I had myself been apprenticed by my former visits to this watching horror; and yet I, who had up to an hour ago repudiated the proofs, felt my heart sink within me.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

In the eyes of the world, I was doubtless covered with grimy dishonour; but I resolved to be clean in my own sight—and to the last I repudiated the contamination of her crimes, and wrenched myself from connection with her mental defects.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He had called Martin the black sheep of the family and repudiated him.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

As he repudiated this suggestion, however, with a jerk of his head, and once more confirmed his previous request by saying, with profound gravity, “Barkis is willin'. That's the message,” I readily undertook its transmission.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)