abdicate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2026 is: abdicate • AB-dih-kayt  • verb Abdicate usually means “to renounce a position of power, such as a throne, high office, dignity, or function.” It can also mean “to fail to do what is required by (a duty or responsibility).” // I know many challenges lie ahead, but I take this role on willingly, and will not abdicate my responsibility. See the entry > Examples: “The story revolves around a plan by dark forces to kidnap the royal heirs and force the prince to abdicate his throne to an evil wizard.” — Screen Daily, 5 Jan. 2026 Did you know? Give it up for abdicate, a word powerful enough to undo a coronation. If you need a term to describe formally throwing in the towel, this one should prove—perhaps ironically—a royal success. Coming from the Latin verb abdicāre, “to resign, renounce, withdraw,” (which traces back to the verb dīcere, meaning “to speak, state”), abdicate is used primarily for those who give up sovereign power or who evade a very serious responsibility. English has dīcere to thank for a variety of other words, among them dictate, contradict, prediction, and the crown jewel of them all: dictionary.