What does resignation mean?
Resignation most commonly denotes the formal act of leaving a position, office, or organization, or the written statement announcing that decision. It may also describe a person's acceptance of an unwelcome or unavoidable situation, often with the implication that further resistance seems pointless. For example, an employee submits a resignation letter, while a driver may express resignation about a delayed journey. The word is not synonymous with happiness: even when a resignation is voluntary, it generally marks the end of a role or commitment. Its second sense is usually somewhat negative or passive, as in phrases such as “with resignation” and “a sigh of resignation.” Resignation is also used in broader institutional and legal contexts, including political, academic, and organizational appointments.
The act of formally giving up a position, office, or responsibility; the formal statement announcing this decision.
"The board accepted the director's resignation with regret."
A formal and often voluntary departure from a role. The plural resignations is used when referring to multiple people leaving their positions.
Patient acceptance of an unwelcome, difficult, or unavoidable situation.
"He regarded the repeated delays as a fact of life and accepted them with resignation."
This sense generally suggests passive acceptance and a belief that resistance is futile.
The plural refers to multiple formal departures from positions or to multiple written statements announcing those departures.
"The resignations of two councillors prompted an early election."
Resignation can mean either leaving a job or accepting what cannot be changed, making it one word for both departure and surrender.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does resignation come from?
Resignation derives from Medieval Latin resignatio, meaning a giving-up or renunciation. The Latin verb resignare originally meant to unseal or cancel and later came to mean to give up, withdraw from, or renounce. English borrowed the noun through Old French resignation, and its modern sense of formally leaving a position developed from the broader idea of relinquishing a role or claim.
How resignation is actually used
In the sense of giving up a position, resignation is usually formal and often implies leaving voluntarily. In the sense of acceptance, it usually carries a passive or resigned tone and may suggest that a person believes resistance is futile.