Basic Details
Word: Relinquish
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To give up something such as power, a right or a hold on something, often without wanting to.
Synonyms: surrender, give up, abandon, renounce
Antonyms: retain, keep, seize
How to Spell Relinquish
Syllables: re - lin - quish
Tricky part: The qu makes a kw sound and the ending is ish, as in finish. Students write relenquish with an e, or drop the u after q.
Watch out for: relenquish, relinqish, relinquich
Memory tip: Relinquish ends like vanquish: an army that is vanquished must relinquish its land. Both end in quish.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The puppy would not relinquish its grip on my slipper.
Example 2: The old queen agreed to relinquish the throne to her son.
Example 3: You will have to relinquish your seat if the owner of the ticket arrives.
Fun Fact
Relinquish comes from Latin relinquere, to leave behind. The word relic grew from the same verb: a relic is something left behind from the past.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. languesh 2. extingiush 3. distinquish 4. relinquish
a) to put out a fire
b) to become weak or suffer for a long time
c) to tell the difference between things
d) to give up something such as power
Show answer
d) to give up something such as power. Extinguish and distinguish both need gu before ish, and languish needs an i; relinquish has no slip.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word relinquish as used in the sentence:
After forty years in charge, the old chairman refused to relinquish control of the company.
a) abandon
b) surrender
c) retain
d) yield
Show answer
c) retain. To retain control is to keep it, the reverse of giving it up; the other three mean letting go.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
relin_u_sh
a) q, e
b) k, i
c) q, i
d) c, i
Show answer
c) q, i. The kw sound is spelt qu, and the word finishes with ish.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A king who relinquishes the throne ____.
a) gives it up
b) buys a new one
c) wins it back
d) guards it closely
Show answer
a) gives it up
2. In which sentence is relinquish used correctly?
a) We relinquished loudly at the joke.
b) She relinquished her claim to the land.
c) He relinquished his soup with a spoon.
d) They relinquished the bus at the stop.
Show answer
b) She relinquished her claim to the land.
