Word of the Day

Thursday, December 06, 2001

renege

\rih-NIG; -NEG\ , intransitive verb;

To go back on a promise or commitment.

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Quotes:

Today, politicians everywhere routinely renege on pledges in the belief that any problem can be solved by short-term fixes, spin-doctoring or character assassination.

-- Larry Elliott, "Universal man must take responsibility for slaying Beveridge's five giants", The Guardian, January 10, 2000

But now the Senate is proposing to renege on the deal, and the governors are furious.

-- By Judith Havemann, Washington Post, March 13, 1999

And George W. Bush knows from seeing his father renege on his "no new taxes" pledge how a single judgment can end up crippling a presidency.

-- James Carney and Karen Tumulty, "How They Run the Show", Time, October 29, 2000

Origin:

Renege is from Medieval Latin renegare, "to deny again, to go back upon," from Latin re-, "back, again" + negare, "to say no, to deny."