英音['æbdi, keit];美音['æbdi, ket]
To relinquish(power or responsibility)formally
v.退位,放弃(职位,权力等)
同义abandon, waive反义constitute名词abdication
解析:ab-远离,dic-宣布,说话,命令,其字面意思可以理解为宣布远离说话权或命令权,“远离”权力的结果恐怕只有“退位”了。
●abandon, waive与abdicate含义相近,但用法不同。
abandon强调完全,永远放弃,尤指遗弃从前喜爱的人或物。例如:He abandoned his son.(他遗弃了自己的孩子。)
waive常常指自愿地放弃主张或权利,还有撤回之意。例如:She waived her right to appeal after the sentence of the court.(法庭宣判后她放弃了上诉的权利。)
abdicate的用法更正式,常见于文学文体中,指放弃王位、辞官等。例如:When Queen ElizabethⅠabdicated, her little sister succeeded her on the throne.(女王伊丽莎白一世退位后,她的妹妹继承了王位。)