- Today's Word
Abjure
ab-JOOR
Definition
(verb) To solemnly renounce or reject a belief, cause, or claim; to formally swear off something
Example
After years in the extremist group, he publicly abjured its ideology and dedicated himself to counter-radicalization work.
Word Origin
Abjure comes from the Latin abjurare — from ab (“away”) + jurare (“to swear”) — literally meaning “to swear away.” In medieval legal and religious contexts, abjuring was a formal, binding act: a person could abjure a heresy before a church tribunal or abjure the realm, swearing under oath never to return to a country.
Fun Fact
Abjuring the realm was a real and dramatic legal practice in medieval England. A person who had committed a crime could claim sanctuary in a church, and if they confessed to a coroner and agreed to abjure the realm — swearing to leave England forever via a designated port — they could avoid execution. They were required to walk barefoot, carrying a wooden cross, to the nearest port and depart within a set number of days. Straying from the road meant forfeiting their protection entirely.