resign
UK: rɪˈzaɪn | US: rɪˈzaɪn
vt. to voluntarily leave a job or position
vt. to accept something undesirable as inevitable
vt. (archaic) to give up or relinquish a right, claim, or possession
resign = re<back> + sign<mark/seal>
- re: Latin prefix meaning "back" or "again," here implying withdrawal or reversal.
- sign: From Latin signare ("to mark/seal"), referring to formally endorsing or validating (e.g., signing a document).
Etymology Origin:
The word resign originated in Middle English from Old French resigner, derived from Latin resignare ("to unseal, cancel, give up"). The literal sense was "to remove a seal" (reversing a binding agreement), later evolving metaphorically to mean "surrender a position" or "accept defeat." The logic reflects physically/figuratively "undoing" a commitment, as breaking a wax seal nullified contracts in medieval times.
She decided to resign from her managerial role after a decade of service.
He resigned himself to the fact that the project would fail.
The king was forced to resign his throne during the revolution.
Employees were asked to resign their old contracts before signing new ones.
Despite the challenges, she refused to resign to despair.