- Today's Word
Abjure
ab-JOOR (or ab-JYUR)
Definition
- (verb) To formally renounce, reject, or give up a belief, claim, or practice, often under oath.
Example
After years of conflict, the leader abjured violence and committed to a peaceful resolution.
Fun Fact
“Abjure” comes from the Latin abjurare, meaning “to swear away.” Historically, it was often used in legal and religious contexts, where individuals would publicly renounce their previous beliefs or allegiances. One famous example is Galileo, who was forced to abjure his support of heliocentrism before the Catholic Church. Today, the word is often used metaphorically, as in “abjuring unhealthy habits” or “abjuring outdated traditions.”
(verb) To use vague or ambiguous language in order to avoid committing to a clear position or answer.
When asked directly whether he had approved the deal, the CEO equivocated for ten minutes without ever giving a straight answer.
Equivocate derives from the Medieval Latin aequivocare, meaning “to call by the same name,” built from aequus (“equal”) and vox (“voice” or “word”). The idea behind the root is of a word that sounds the same but carries two equally valid meanings — giving the speaker plausible deniability by exploiting ambiguity. It entered English in the 16th century, almost immediately acquiring its negative connotation of deliberate evasiveness.