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Refuse vs Renounce - What's the difference?

refuse | renounce |

In transitive terms the difference between refuse and renounce

is that refuse is to decline (a request or demand) while renounce is to abandon, forsake, discontinue (an action, habit, intention, etc), sometimes by open declaration.

In intransitive terms the difference between refuse and renounce

is that refuse is to decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission while renounce is to surrender formally some right or trust.

As an adjective refuse

is discarded, rejected.

refuse

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Discarded, rejected.
  • Noun

    (-)
  • (UK) Collectively, items or material that have been discarded; rubbish, garbage.
  • Synonyms
    * discards * garbage (US ) * rubbish (UK ) * trash (US ) * See also

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) refuser, from .

    Verb

    (refus)
  • To decline (a request or demand).
  • My request for a pay rise was refused .
    I refuse to listen to this nonsense any more.
  • * Bible, Isa. i. 20
  • If ye refuse ye shall be devoured with the sword.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 27 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Bayern Munich 2 - 0 Man City , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=City were outclassed thereafter and Roberto Mancini said that substitute Carlos Tevez refused to play.}}
  • To decline a request or demand, forbear; to withhold permission.
  • I asked the star if I could have her autograph, but she refused .
  • (military) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the centre, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy.
  • to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks
  • (obsolete) To disown.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Refuse thy name.
    Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See
    Synonyms
    * (decline) decline, reject, nill, say no to, turn down, veto, withsake * (decline a request or demand) say no, forbear

    Noun

  • (obsolete) refusal
  • (Fairfax)
    English heteronyms English reporting verbs ----

    renounce

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (card games) An act of .
  • Verb

    (renounc)
  • To give up, resign, surrender.
  • to renounce a title to land or to a throne
  • To cast off, repudiate.
  • * Shakespeare
  • This world I do renounce , and in your sights / Shake patiently my great affliction off.
  • To decline further association with someone or something, disown.
  • To abandon, forsake, discontinue (an action, habit, intention, etc), sometimes by open declaration.
  • To make a renunciation of something.
  • * Dryden
  • He of my sons who fails to make it good, / By one rebellious act renounces to my blood.
  • To surrender formally some right or trust.
  • * W. D. Christie
  • Dryden died without a will, and his widow having renounced , his son Charles administered on June 10.
  • (card games) To fail to follow suit; playing a card of a different suit when having no card of the suit led.
  • Derived terms

    * renounceable * renouncement * renouncer

    References

    *