Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: , past participle of abdicare, from ab- 'away, off' + dicare 'to say publicly'

abdicate

 verb
     
Related topics: Sociology
ab‧di‧cate [intransitive and transitive]
1SS to give up the position of being king or queen:
King Alfonso XIII abdicated in favour of his eldest son.
The king was forced to abdicate the throne.
2

abdicate (your) responsibility

formal to refuse to be responsible for something, when you should be or were before:
The government has largely abdicated its responsibility in dealing with housing needs.
—abdication noun [uncountable and countable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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