resignation

resignation — noun

1. The formal process of notifying the company you work for that you intend to stop

1.nounB2
Definition

The formal process of notifying the company you work for that you intend to stop working there, or giving up a particular position.

Example

Eitan handed in his resignation after the dispute with his manager.

collocation: hand in + resignation

The chairman's resignation was announced at the board meeting this morning.

passive: resignation was announced

Common collocations
  • hand in your resignation
  • submit a resignation
  • tender a resignation
  • letter of resignation
  • resignation as chairman / manager / director
  • resignation of the CEO / the board
  • announce a resignation
  • accept a resignation
  • date of resignation
  • notice of resignation
Synonyms
  • quitting

    more informal and less official than resignation

  • departure

    softer, broader term — can include retirement or being fired

  • stepping down

    often used for high-ranking positions; implies handing over authority

Antonyms
  • appointment

    the act of giving someone a position, rather than leaving one

  • employment

    the state of having a job, as opposed to leaving it

Grammar Patterns

resignation + of + noun (person resigning)

resignation + as + noun (position)

hand in + possessive + resignation

submit + possessive + resignation

Common Mistakes

After his resignation, the company forced him to leave the building.
After his resignation, he worked for two more weeks to complete his projects.
resignation is voluntary; being fired is not.
She made a resignation.
She submitted a resignation.
'make' is not the natural verb; 'hand in', 'submit', or 'tender' are standard.

2. A quiet, sad acceptance that something unpleasant is happening and there is noth

2.nounC1
Definition

A quiet, sad acceptance that something unpleasant is happening and there is nothing you can do to stop or change it.

Example

Meera watched the storm destroy her garden with quiet resignation.

collocation: with + (adjective) + resignation

When Yuna saw the long queue, she let out a sigh of resignation.

collocation: sigh of resignation

Common collocations
  • with resignation
  • a sigh of resignation
  • a look of resignation
  • a shrug of resignation
  • quiet resignation
  • resignation to one's fate
  • in resignation
  • accept something with resignation
  • express resignation
  • show resignation
Synonyms
  • acceptance

    more neutral; lacks the sadness of resignation

  • acquiescence

    formal; suggests passive agreement without protest

  • submission

    stronger, implies giving in to authority or force

Antonyms
  • resistance

    actively fighting or pushing back against a situation

  • defiance

    refusing to accept something, often in a bold way

  • optimism

    hoping or believing things will improve, rather than accepting they will not

Grammar Patterns

with + (adjective) + resignation

resignation + to + noun

a sigh / look / shrug of resignation

Usage Note

Often expressed through body language or tone — common in fixed phrases like 'a sigh of resignation', 'a look of resignation', or 'with resignation'. Unlike sense 1, this sense is always uncountable.

Common Mistakes

With a resignation, she accepted the bad news.
With a sigh of resignation, she accepted the bad news.
the emotion sense is uncountable and needs a fixed phrase structure like 'a sigh/look/shrug of resignation'.
He felt resignation to the idea.
He felt resignation about the situation.
the preposition 'to' is used with 'resigned' (adjective), not typically with the noun 'resignation'.

Word family

  • resign
    verbB2
  • resigned
    adjectiveC1
  • resignedly
    adverbC1
  • resigner
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Resignation refers specifically to the formal act of ending employment or giving up a role, usually by choice. 'Quitting' is more informal and often suggests leaving abruptly or out of frustration — someone quits a bad job but resigns from a respected position. 'Stepping down' is used almost exclusively for senior roles and implies a graceful, sometimes necessary exit. 'Departure' is the broadest term, covering any kind of leaving — voluntary or not — and is softer in tone. 'Retirement' specifically means leaving a job at the end of one's career, often with a pension or celebration. A CEO resigns after a scandal; a retiree steps down at sixty-five; a cashier who hates the job quits; a colleague's departure might mean any of these.

quittingstepping downdeparture ↗retirement ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • tendered his resignation
  • offer your resignation
  • accept someone's resignation

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinMedieval FrenchEnglish

Resignation comes from the Latin verb 'resignare', meaning 'to unseal, cancel, or give back' — from 're-' (back) and 'signare' (to mark, seal, or sign). In medieval times, to resign meant to give back or return something, especially a right or a property. The word later shifted to describe giving up a job or position. The emotional sense — accepting a bad situation calmly — developed from the idea of 'giving up' resistance or protest.