Abnegation
[ab-nih-GAY-shun]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 14th century
1.
Denial, usually self-directed
2.
Relinquishing a certain right or responsibility
Examples of Abnegation in a sentence
"In order to prepare for the rigors of boot camp, he started practicing abnegation."
"Signing the adoption papers signified the abnegation of her parental rights."
About Abnegation
You probably recognize the “neg” in the middle of the word and want to infer a negative connotation. But the Latin root is actually "abnego," which means to refuse or deny. You are denying yourself something, but just try to think of how good for you it will be.
Did you Know?
This word has a fairly early origin, which makes sense because principles of abnegation are present in almost all of the major religions. Monks and nuns practice abnegation of material possessions. Buddhism and Hinduism preach elements of abnegation. Ramadan and Lent are both periods of abnegation.
