resignation

From Middle English resignacion, resignacioun, from Old French resignation, from Medieval Latin resignātiōnem, accusative of resignātio. Equivalent to resign +‎ -ation.

• (UK, US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛz.ɪɡˈneɪ.ʃən/

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  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌɹez.ɪɡˈnæɪ.ʃən/

resignation (countable and uncountable, plural resignations)

1. The act of resigning.

   Jane offered her resignation to the board of directors, but they refused.

   • 1978, Richard Nixon, “The Presidency 1973-1974”, in RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon‎, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 1064:

     I knew my Cabinet well, and despite Haig's reports that they were all holding firm I knew that there would be great pressure on them all, and great temptations, to make public demands for my resignation. That was something I had to prevent if I possibly could. I was determined not to appear to have resigned the presidency because of a consensus of staff or Cabinet opinion or because of public pressure from the people around me. For me and no less for the country, I believed that my resignation had to be seen as something that I had decided upon completely on my own.

2. A written or oral declaration that one resigns.

   hand in one's resignation

3. An uncomplaining acceptance of something undesirable but unavoidable.

   With resignation I acknowledged that after the accident I would not be able to ski again.

4. (Scots law, historical) The form by which a vassal returns the feu into the hands of a superior.

• resignment

• eating irons