resign

resign · verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromresignāre“to unseal, annul, assign, resign”
2. Middle French · derived fromresigner
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromresigner
4. English todayresign

From Anglo-Norman resigner, Middle French resigner, and its source, Latin resignāre (“to unseal, annul, assign, resign”), from re- + signāre (“to seal, stamp”). Piecewise doublet of re-sign.

resign · verb²

1. Proto-Italic*wre-
2. Latinre-
3. Old Frenchre-
4. Middle Englishre-
5. Englishre-
6. Englishsign
7. English todayresign

From re- + sign.

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. To give up; to relinquish ownership of.
• from 14th c. To voluntarily leave (a job or position), in particular a hard-fought position of high status.
• from 15th c. To submit passively; to give up as hopeless or inevitable.