What does resigning mean?
Resigning means giving up a position, office, responsibility, or other role, often with an announcement that one is leaving it. It can describe a person departing from employment, a board member stepping down, or someone surrendering a claim or opportunity. The word is formal but neutral in tone and is used in British and American English. Resigning is often followed by 'from' when naming an organisation or 'as' when naming a position: someone may resign from a company or resign as director. The term can imply a voluntary decision, and phrases such as 'resign in protest' make the reason explicit. In other contexts, resigning can mean simply giving up an effort, claim, or right. It is a useful word because it distinguishes the act of formally leaving a role from being dismissed, although the surrounding context determines which event occurred.
verbThe present participle of resign, meaning to give up or relinquish a position, office, or responsibility, or to announce that one is leaving it.
- To give up or relinquish a position, office, or responsibility.
- To announce one's departure from a job or role.
- To give up one's claim, right, or opportunity.
"After resigning from the board, she continued to support the organisation as an ordinary member."
"He resigned from the company after the disagreement over the merger."
"The director resigned in protest against the proposed changes."
Resigning ends a role, but it can also begin a new chapter: sometimes the most powerful move in an organisation is to leave it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does resigning come from?
The verb comes from Latin resignare, formed from the prefix re- and the root signare, meaning 'to sign, seal, or announce formally'. In English it originally referred to giving up or declaring one's intention to relinquish a post. The modern sense of voluntarily leaving a position developed from that older formal usage. The related forms resignation and resignable were derived from the same verbal root.
Related word forms
How resigning is actually used
Resigning is neutral to mildly formal and is standard in British and American English. The preposition commonly used with a role or organisation is 'from'; 'resigning as' is also widely used. It can imply voluntary departure, while the resignation itself does not specify the reason unless context does.
Easily confused with resigning
Resigning means leaving or giving up a position, whereas resenting means feeling bitter or indignant about something.