surrender definition | Dictionary.com

sur⋅ren⋅der

[suh-ren-der]

–verb (used with object)

1.	to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress: to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods to the police.

2.	to give (oneself) up, as to the police.

3.	to give (oneself) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc.: He surrendered himself to a life of hardship.

4.	to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).

5.	to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.

–verb (used without object)

6.	to give oneself up, as into the power of another; submit or yield.

–noun

7.	the act or an instance of surrendering.

8.	Insurance. the voluntary abandonment of a life-insurance policy by the owner for any of its nonforfeiture values.

9.	the deed by which a legal surrendering is made.

Origin:
1425–75; (v.) late ME surrendren < AF surrender, OF surrendre to give up, equiv. to sur- sur- ¹ + rendre to render; (n.) < AF; OF surrendre, n. use of the inf.

Related forms:

sur⋅ren⋅der⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. See yield. 4. renounce. 5. waive, cede, abandon, forgo. 6. capitulate. 7. capitulation, relinquishment.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To surrender

sur·ren·der (sə-rěn'dər)

v. sur·ren·dered, sur·ren·der·ing, sur·ren·ders

v. tr.

To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion.
To give up in favor of another.
To give up or give back (something that has been granted): surrender a contractual right.
To give up or abandon: surrender all hope.
To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion: surrendered himself to grief.
Law To restore (an estate, for example), especially to give up (a lease) before expiration of the term.

v. intr.
To give oneself up, as to an enemy.
n.

The act or an instance of surrendering.
Law
1. The delivery of a prisoner, fugitive from justice, or other principal in a suit into legal custody.
2. The act of surrendering or of being surrendered to bail.
3. Restoration of an estate.

[Middle English surrenderen, from Old French surrendre : sur-, sur- + rendre, to deliver; see render.]

Synonyms: These nouns denote the act of giving up one's person, one's possessions, or people under one's command to the authority, power, or control of another. Surrender is the most general: "No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted" (Ulysses S. Grant).
Submission stresses the subordination of the side that has yielded: "Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission" (George Washington).
Capitulation implies surrender under specific prearranged conditions: Lack of food and ammunition forced the capitulation of the rebels. See Also Synonyms at relinquish.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Surrender

Sur*ren"der\, n. (Insurance) The voluntary cancellation of the legal liability of the company by the insured and beneficiary for a consideration (called the

surrender value).

Surrender

Sur*ren"der\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Surrendered; p. pr. & vb. n. Surrendering.] [OF. surrendre to deliver; sur over + rendre to render. See Sur-, and Render.]

1. To yield to the power of another; to give or deliver up possession of (anything) upon compulsion or demand; as, to surrender one's person to an enemy or to an officer; to surrender a fort or a ship.

2. To give up possession of; to yield; to resign; as, to surrender a right, privilege, or advantage.

To surrender up that right which otherwise their founders might have in them. --Hooker.

3. To yield to any influence, emotion, passion, or power; -- used reflexively; as, to surrender one's self to grief, to despair, to indolence, or to sleep.

4. (Law) To yield; to render or deliver up; to give up; as, a principal surrendered by his bail, a fugitive from justice by a foreign state, or a particular estate by the tenant thereof to him in remainder or reversion.

Surrender

Sur*ren"der\, v. i. To give up one's self into the power of another; to yield; as, the enemy, seeing no way of escape, surrendered at the first summons.

Surrender

Sur*ren"der\, n. 1. The act of surrendering; the act of yielding, or resigning one's person, or the possession of something, into the power of another; as, the surrender of a castle to an enemy; the surrender of a right.

That he may secure some liberty he makes a surrender in trust of the whole of it. --Burke.

2. (Law) (a) The yielding of a particular estate to him who has an immediate estate in remainder or reversion. (b) The giving up of a principal into lawful custody by his bail. (c) The delivery up of fugitives from justice by one government to another, as by a foreign state. See Extradition. --Wharton.

Language Translation for : surrender

Spanish: rendirse,

German: sich ergeben,

Japanese: 降参する

More Translations »

surrender

1441, "to give (something) up," from O.Fr. surrendre "give up, deliver over" (13c.), from sur- "over" + rendre "give back" (see render). Reflexive sense of "to give oneself up" (especially as a prisoner) is from 1585. The noun is recorded from 1487.

Main Entry: sur·ren·der
Function: transitive verb
1 a : to yield to the control or possession of another <surrender the leased premises> <surrender collateral to a creditor> b : to give up completely or agree to forgo c : to cancel (one's insurance policy) voluntarily
2 : to give over to the custody of the law <surrender a defendant> intransitive verb : to give oneself up

Main Entry: surrender
Function: noun
: an act or instance of surrendering surrender of a promissory note>; especially : the yielding of an estate by a tenant to the landlord so that the leasehold interest is extinguished by mutual agreement

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