Ask Difference

Renounce vs. Denounce — What's the Difference?

Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on October 12, 2023
Renounce is to formally give up a right, position, or power. Denounce is to publicly declare to be wrong or evil.
Renounce vs. Denounce — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Renounce and Denounce

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Key Differences

"Renounce" and "Denounce" are two verbs that carry distinct meanings, particularly regarding personal and public domains, respectively. "Renounce" involves a personal, often formal, rejection or abandonment of something such as a belief, claim, or title. On the contrary, "Denounce" pivots more toward a public condemnation or censure, often imbued with a moral or ethical undertone, firmly establishing its roots in external manifestation.
"Renounce" implies a relinquishment, where one deliberately forfeits a title, position, or belief, often driven by internal motivations or realizations. "Denounce" typically necessitates an external entity to be condemned or criticized, generally steering toward the infliction of societal or moral judgment. Therefore, "Renounce" often navigates through the corridors of personal decision-making, while "Denounce" traverses a pathway ornamented with public criticism and condemnation.
Interestingly, "Renounce" is often engaged in the context of forsaking something that personally belongs to or is associated with an individual. "Denounce," however, may not always require personal association or involvement with what is being condemned. Thus, "Renounce" harbors an intrinsic, self-directed nuance, while "Denounce" could exist independently of personal ties or associations.
In legal or formal spheres, "Renounce" may indicate the formal rejection of a title, position, or inheritance. Conversely, "Denounce" may not necessarily intertwine with legalities or formalities but might rather stand aloof as a moral or ethical condemnation. Hence, the legal or formal sphere might embrace "Renounce" more intimately than it does "Denounce," which finds its place more comfortably in moral and social scenarios.
Employing "Renounce" implies a self-directed action and is devoid of the necessity for an audience. "Denounce," however, intrinsically involves an audience, given its inherent objective to declare condemnation or criticism. Consequently, "Renounce" can be perceived as internally reflective, whereas "Denounce" externally projective, broadcasting its message outwardly toward society or a particular demographic.
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Comparison Chart

Primary Connotation

Relinquishment
Condemnation

Intrinsic/Extrinsic

Intrinsic, involving self
Extrinsic, involves an external entity

Association

Personal association
May not require personal involvement

Legal/Formal Use

Can be legal/formal, e.g., renouncing a title
Largely moral/ethical, not typically legal

Audience Involvement

Does not inherently require an audience
Generally requires an audience

Compare with Definitions

Renounce

To refuse to recognize or abide any longer.
They renounce the authority of the leaders.

Denounce

To criticize or speak out against.
She denounces all forms of hatred.

Renounce

To speak against a previous belief.
He renounced his former way of thinking.

Denounce

To expose as reprehensible or wicked.
The dictator was denounced for his atrocities.

Renounce

To formally give up a title or position.
He chose to renounce his royal title.

Denounce

To inform against, to accuse.
The whistleblower denounces the fraudulent activities.

Renounce

To reject or disown.
They renounce all claims to the throne.

Denounce

To condemn openly or publicly.
They denounce the government's actions.

Renounce

To give up (a title or possession, for example), especially by formal announcement.

Denounce

To condemn openly as being wrong or reprehensible.

Renounce

To decide or declare that one will no longer adhere to (a belief or position); reject.

Denounce

To inform against (someone); accuse publicly.

Renounce

To decide or declare that one will no longer engage in (a practice) or use (something)
Renounce violence.

Denounce

To give formal announcement of the ending of (a treaty).

Renounce

To disclaim one's association with (a person or country, for example).

Denounce

To make known in a formal manner; to proclaim; to announce; to declare.

Renounce

To give up, relinquish, or reject something.

Denounce

(transitive) To criticize or speak out against (someone or something); to point out as deserving of reprehension, etc.; to openly accuse or condemn in a threatening manner; to invoke censure upon; to stigmatize; to blame.
To denounce someone as a swindler, or as a coward

Renounce

(card games) An act of renouncing.

Denounce

(transitive) To make a formal or public accusation against; to inform against; to accuse.
To denounce a confederate in crime
To denounce someone to the authorities

Renounce

(transitive) To give up, resign, surrender.
To renounce a title to land or to a throne

Denounce

To proclaim in a threatening manner; to threaten by some outward sign or expression; make a menace of.
To denounce war; to denounce punishment

Renounce

(transitive) To cast off, repudiate.

Denounce

(transitive) To announce the termination of; especially a treaty or armistice.

Renounce

(transitive) To decline further association with someone or something, disown.

Denounce

To claim the right of working a mine that is abandoned or insufficiently worked.

Renounce

(transitive) To abandon, forsake, discontinue (an action, habit, intention, etc), sometimes by open declaration.

Denounce

To make known in a solemn or official manner; to declare; to proclaim (especially an evil).
Denouncing wrath to come.
I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish.

Renounce

(intransitive) To make a renunciation of something.

Denounce

To proclaim in a threatening manner; to threaten by some outward sign or expression.
His look denounced desperate.

Renounce

(intransitive) To surrender formally some right or trust.

Denounce

To point out as deserving of reprehension or punishment, etc.; to accuse in a threatening manner; to invoke censure upon; to stigmatize.
Denounced for a heretic.
To denounce the immoralities of Julius Cæsar.

Renounce

To fail to follow suit; playing a card of a different suit when having no card of the suit led.

Denounce

Speak out against;
He denounced the Nazis

Renounce

To declare against; to reject or decline formally; to refuse to own or acknowledge as belonging to one; to disclaim; as, to renounce a title to land or to a throne.

Denounce

To accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful;
He denounced the government action
She was stigmatized by society because she had a child out of wedlock

Renounce

To cast off or reject deliberately; to disown; to dismiss; to forswear.
This world I do renounce, and in your sightsShake patiently my great affliction off.

Denounce

Announce the termination of, as of treaties

Renounce

To disclaim having a card of (the suit led) by playing a card of another suit.
From Thebes my birth I own; . . . since no disgraceCan force me to renounce the honor of my race.
Either to die the death, or to abjureForever the society of man.
Ease would recantVows made in pain, as violent and void.

Denounce

Give away information about somebody;
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam

Renounce

To make renunciation.
He of my sons who fails to make it good,By one rebellious act renounces to my blood.

Denounce

To announce formally the termination of.
The treaty was denounced by the government.

Renounce

To decline formally, as an executor or a person entitled to letters of administration, to take out probate or letters.
Dryden died without a will, and his widow having renounced, his son Charles administered on June 10.

Renounce

Act of renouncing.

Renounce

Give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations;
The King abdicated when he married a divorcee

Renounce

Leave (a job, post, post, or position) voluntarily;
She vacated the position when she got pregnant
The chairman resigned when he was found to have misappropriated funds

Renounce

Turn away from; give up;
I am foreswearing women forever

Renounce

Cast off or disown;
She renounced her husband
The parents repudiated their son

Renounce

To declare abandonment of a belief or activity.
She decided to renounce her involvement in the organization.

Common Curiosities

Can "Renounce" indicate a permanent decision?

Yes, "Renounce" often implies a firm, sometimes permanent, abandonment.

Can "Renounce" relate to beliefs?

Yes, one can "Renounce" beliefs, indicating a rejection of them.

Is "Denounce" always negative?

Typically, "Denounce" implies a negative condemnation or criticism.

Can you "Denounce" a friend for wrongdoing?

Yes, you can denounce anyone or anything that you believe is wrong.

Does "Denounce" imply a call to action?

Not always, but it may inspire or incite action due to the condemnation.

Can “Denounce” relate to actions or behaviors?

Yes, one can denounce actions or behaviors deemed wrong or immoral.

Can "Renounce" involve formal or legal processes?

Yes, "Renounce" can involve formally rejecting a title, position, or claim.

Can "Renounce" imply a self-sacrifice?

It can, especially if one renounces something beneficial for ethical reasons.

Does "Denounce" require a moral or ethical standpoint?

Generally, "Denounce" involves a moral or ethical condemnation.

Can you "Renounce" a person?

It’s more common to renounce a position, belief, or claim rather than a person.

Is "Renounce" related to personal decisions?

Primarily, yes. "Renounce" often involves a personal relinquishment.

Can "Denounce" be political?

Yes, "Denounce" is often used to condemn political actions or policies.

Is "Denounce" used in legal terminology?

It is more commonly used in moral/social contexts, not specifically legal.

Can you "Renounce" without stating it publicly?

Yes, renouncing can be a personal, unexpressed decision.

Is "Renounce" active or passive?

It's active, as it involves a deliberate act of giving something up.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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