disclaim
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /dɪsˈkleɪm/
KK: /dɪsˈkleɪm/
intransitive verb
Definition
To state that you do not have a right to something or that you do not accept responsibility for something.
Example
He decided to disclaim any involvement in the project after the issues arose.
Tense Forms
Past: disclaimed
Past Participle: disclaimed
Conversation
I heard you had to disclaim that prize you won.
Yeah, it was a bit of a mess with the rules.
That sounds frustrating; I can’t believe you had to disclaim it.
It really was, but at least I learned a lot from the experience.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
renounce
reject
disavow
Antonyms
claim
assert
acknowledge
transitive verb
Definition
To state that you do not have any responsibility for something or that you do not accept a claim or connection.
Example
He decided to disclaim any involvement in the project after the issues arose.
Tense Forms
Past: disclaimed
Past Participle: disclaimed
Conversation
Did you see the article about that new company?
Yeah, but they had to disclaim any involvement in the scandal.
Right, it's smart to disclaim things to protect their reputation.
Root Explanation
Disclaim → It is formed from "dis-" (meaning apart) and "claim" (from Latin "clamare", meaning to call out or declare). The word means to declare something as not one's own or to deny responsibility for something.
Memory Tip
Think of 'dis-' meaning apart and 'claim' meaning to declare — so to disclaim is to declare that something is not yours.
Visually Confused Words
misclaim
nondisclaim
undisclaimed
dislimn
declaim