renoncer

Renoncer is a French verb of the first group meaning to give up, abandon, or renounce something one has decided to pursue, or to reject a claim, obligation, or desire. It can express voluntary relinquishment, surrender in a general sense, or a moral or practical decision to stop pursuing a goal.

Origin and related forms: Renoncer originated in Old French as renoncier, with roots in the sense of withdrawing or yielding. The noun renonciation (renunciation) is commonly used in legal and formal contexts, while renoncement is also found but less standard. The verb is related to other Romance equivalents such as Spanish renunciar or Italian rinunciare.

Usage and construction: Renoncer is usually followed by the preposition à when referring to giving up a thing, task, or goal (renoncer à quelque chose). It can also take an infinitive to indicate what is being abandoned (renoncer à faire quelque chose). The nuance ranges from practical surrender to principled refusal, and it can convey regret or determination depending on context.

Conjugation overview: Renoncer is a regular -er verb. Present: je renonce, tu renonces, il renonce, nous renonçons, vous renoncez, ils renoncent. Passé composé: j'ai renoncé. Imperfect: je renonçais. Future: je renoncerai. Conditional: je renoncerais. Subjunctive present: que je renonce, que tu renonces, qu'il renonce, que nous renoncions, que vous renonciez, qu'ils renoncent. Imperative: renonce, renonçons, renoncez. Note the cedilla in nous renonçons to preserve the soft pronunciation of c before o.

Examples: Il a renoncé à son voyage; Elle a renoncé à ses droits; Ils renoncent à toute responsabilité. See also renonciation for the noun form.