abjure

present singular third person abjures · participle present abjuring · participle past abjured · past abjured · first person past singular abjured · archaic present second person singular abjurest · past second person singular abjured · archaic past second person singular abjuredst · present singular third person abjures · archaic present singular third person abjureth · past singular third person abjured · past plural abjured · past subjunctive abjured · participle present abjuring · participle past abjured

1. formaltransitiveTo solemnly reject (someone or something); to abandon (someone or something) forever; to disavow, to disclaim, to repudiate.First known use 15th c.

   to abjure errors

   5 more examples

   Her[mia]. […] But I beſeech your Grace, that I may knovve / The vvorſt that may befall mee in this caſe, / If I refuſe to vved Demetrius. / The[seus]. Either to dy the death, or to abiure, / For euer, the ſociety of men.

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], signature A3, recto

   She diſappeerd, and left me dark, I vvak'd / To find her, or for ever to deplore / Her loſs, and other pleaſures all abjure: […]

   1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC, signature Dd2, verso, lines 1115–1117

   [B]oth Charles [I] himself and his creature [William] Laud, while they abjured the innocent badges of Popery, retained all its worst vices, […]

   1825 August, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “[John] Milton. […]”, in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to the Edinburgh Review. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 32

   Only as thou abjurest self, / Lovest thy Brother more than pelf, / And drivest out the impish elf, // Sectarian pride, from all thy heart, / Canst thou have place, or lot, or part / Within the Heaven-created mart […]

   1855, Thomas L[ake] Harris, “Part Fourteen”, in An Epic of the Starry Heaven, 4th edition, New York, N.Y.: Partridge & Brittan, […], →OCLC, page 180

   [S]he is an ardent golfer. Except during the season in town, she spends her year in golfing, either at St. Magnus or Pau, for, like all good Americans, she has long since abjured her native soil.

   1902, Robert Marshall, “About Myself”, in The Haunted Major, Edinburgh: Grant & Murray […], published 1932, →OCLC, page 17

   Synonyms: renounce, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, forsay, forswear, renounce

2. formalhistoricaltransitiveTo renounce (something) upon oath; to forswear; specifically, to recant or retract (a heresy or some other opinion); to withdraw.First known use 15th c.

   to abjure allegiance to a prince

   5 more examples

   [T]he man ye write of, was of many thinges borne wrõge [wrong] in hande, & therin ſo ſore handeled that he was forced to for ſwere and abiure certaine hereſyes, & openly to penance therfore, where he neuer held any ſuch.

   1528, Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. Chapter I.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book I, page 108, column 2

   Graues at my command, / Haue vvak'd their ſleepers, op'd, and let 'em forth / By my ſo potent Art. But this rough Magicke / I heere abiure: […]

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 16, column 2

   [T]he conceſſion vvas far ſhort of ſatisfying the principle vvhich Lord Hillſborough had abjured; or even the pretence on vvhich the repeal of the other taxes vvas announced: […]

   1774 April 19, Edmund Burke, Speech of Edmund Burke, Esq. on American Taxation, April 19, 1774, 2nd edition, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1775, →OCLC, page 36

   VVouldeſt thou devote thyſelf to me? Adore then the terreſtrial influences; and abjure Mahomet.

   Vathek

   1786, [William Beckford], translated by [Samuel Henley], An Arabian Tale, from an Unpublished Manuscript: […] [Vathek], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 39

   [W]hen, guided by learned rabbis, invincible generals, and sublime and enlightened heathens, thou in evil hour abjuredst the gospel, in outward act if not in heart, and ungratefully dismissed thy faithful adviser, thou didst seal the fate of thy country and thyself.

   1814, [Adelaide O’Keeffe], “Book XII”, in Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra; a Narrative, Founded on History. […], volume II, London: […] J. Dennett, […]; for F[rancis] C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 247

   Synonyms: disavow, renounce, backpedal, disavow, disown, eat one's words, recall, recant

3. formalhistoricaltransitiveTo cause (someone) to recant or retract (a heresy or some other opinion).First known use 15th c.

   [T]hey vvere betrayed, and then many of them to the number of ſix or ſeven ſcore vvere abjured, and three or four of them burnt. Novv although vve knevv not hovv to call theſe Martyrs vvho ſo ſuffered, their Names no doubt are vvritten in the Book of Life.

   a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, “Bark-shire”, in The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC, page 90

4. formalhistoricaltransitivelawEspecially in abjure the realm: to swear an oath to leave (a place) forever.

   When a clerk heretofore was convicted of felony, he might have saved his life by abjuring the realm; that is, by departing the realm within a certain time appointed, and taking an oath never to return. But at this day all statutes for abjuration are repealed.

   a. 1680 (date written), Thomas Hobbes, “A Dialogue between a Philosopher & a Student of the Common Laws of England”, in William Molesworth, editor, The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury; […], volume VI, London: John Bohn, […], published 1840, →OCLC, page 141

   1 more example

   [A]s a feme-covert recuſant may be impriſoned, ſo all others muſt, vvithin three months after conviction, either ſubmit and renounce their errors, or, if required ſo to do by four juſtices, muſt abjure and renounce the realm: and if they do not depart, or if they return vvithout the king's licence, they ſhall be guilty of felony, and ſuffer death as felons.

   1769, William Blackstone, “Of Offences against God and Religion”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book IV (Of Public Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 56

5. formalhistoricalobsoleteraretransitivelawTo cause or compel (someone) to leave a place forever; to banish.

   The ſtrong effect of theyr conceiued ire, / Vrging the vveake King vvith a violent hand, / T' abiure thoſe falſe Lords from the troubled land.

   1603, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “The Barrons Warres. The First Booke.”, in The Barrons Wars in the Raigne of Edward the Second. […], London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] Ling, →OCLC, stanza 15, page 6

   2 more examples

   About this time a ſubject brought in a Bull of Excommunication againſt another ſubject of this Realm, and publiſhed it to the Lord Treaſurer of England, and this vvas by the ancient Common-Law of England adjudged Treason againſt the King, his Crovvn and dignity, for the vvhich, the offender ſhould have been dravvn and hanged, but at the great inſtance of the chancelour and Treaſurer, he vvas onely abjured the Realm for ever.

   1655, Thomas Fuller, “Cent[ury] XIV. To Clement Throckmorton, the Elder, of Haseley in Warwick-shire, Esq”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book III, page 90

   In the Time of King Edward III. one ſhould have been hanged, dravvn and quartered, for publiſhing an Excommunication, directed from the Biſhop of Rome againſt one of the King's Subjects. But at the Entreaty of the Lord Chancellor and Lord Treaſurer, his Life vvas pardoned; notvvithſtanding he vvas abjured the Realm.

   1709, John Strype, “The Lord Keeper’s and Mr. Speaker’s Speeches. A Second Parliament. Matters Transacted Relating to Religion. […]”, in Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England; […], volume I, London: […] John Wyat, […], →OCLC, page 269

6. formalintransitiveTo solemnly reject; to abandon forever.

   Eaſily canſt thou find one miſerable, / And not inforc'd oft-times to part from truth; / If it may ſtand him more in ſtead to lye, / Say and unſay, feign, flatter, or abjure?

   1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 26, lines 470–473

7. formalhistoricalintransitiveTo recant or retract a heresy on oath.

   Nor neuer yet found I ani. j. [any one] but he would once abiure, though he neuer intended to kepe his othe.

   1528, Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. Chapter XVI.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book IV, page 282, column 1

   1 more example

   And going toward the Justice Gate, many said to him, "Recant! Recant! Don't insist on dying," and he said, "Christ died for us." […] At the Field of Justice, one said to him he should do as a certain monk, his superior, had done, abjuring: but Michael answered that he would not abjure, and I saw many in the crowd agree and urge Michael to be strong: so I and many others realized those were his followers, and we moved away from them.

   1983, Umberto Eco, translated by William Weaver, The Name of the Rose (A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book), New York, N.Y.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 238

8. formalhistoricalintransitivelawTo swear an oath to leave a place forever.

   I Abiowre⸝ I forſake myne errours as an heretyke dothe⸝ or forſwere the kynges landes⸝ ie abiure, prime coniugationis.

   1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The Table of Verbes”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio cxxxvi, verso; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC

   2 more examples

   Well to bee ſhort, what for the cauſes before recited, as alſo for that they had once alreadie abiured, and yet (as they terme it) fell againe into relapſe, they were both (as you haue heard) in the end burned together in Smithfield: […]

   1610 October, John Foxe, “The Historie of Diuers Good Men and Women, Persecuted for Religion in the Citie and Dioces of the Bishop of London, Briefly Extracted out of the Registers of Richard Fitziames”, in The Second Volume of the Ecclesiasticall Historie, Containing the Acts and Monuments of Martyrs, […], 6th edition, volume II, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book VII, page 736, column 2

   One abjureth and is after taken in England, and demanded what he could ſay, why Execution ſhould not be awarded, he ſtands mute, he ſhall be hanged, and not put to penance or preſſed; becauſe he was attainted of the Felony before by his Confeſſion: For he cannot have the Benefit of the Sanctuary to abjure, unleſs he confeſs the Felony which is entered on Record by the Coroner; […]

   1789, John Kelyng[e], “High-Treason”, in [John] Holt, editor, A Report of Divers Cases in Pleas of the Crown, Adjudged and Determined in the Reign of the Late King Charles II. […], Dublin: […] P. Byrne, […], page 36