DISCLAIM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does disclaim mean? 

• DISCLAIM (verb)
  The verb DISCLAIM has 2 senses:

1. renounce a legal claim or title to

2. make a disclaimer about

  Familiarity information: DISCLAIM used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISCLAIM (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they disclaim    ... he / she / it disclaims   
Past simple: disclaimed   
Past participle: disclaimed   
-ing form: disclaiming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Renounce a legal claim or title to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "disclaim" is one way to...):

foreswear; quit; relinquish; renounce (turn away from; give up)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

claim (lay claim to; as of an idea)

Derivation:

disclaimer ((law) a voluntary repudiation of a person's legal claim to something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a disclaimer about

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

He disclaimed any responsibility

Hypernyms (to "disclaim" is one way to...):

deny (declare untrue; contradict)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

claim (assert or affirm strongly; state to be true or existing)

Derivation:

disclaimer ((law) a voluntary repudiation of a person's legal claim to something)

 Context examples 

Mrs. Elton began to think she had been wrong in disclaiming so warmly.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Miss Bennet eagerly disclaimed all extraordinary merit, and threw back the praise on her sister's warm affection.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Catherine blushed and disclaimed, and the gentleman's predictions were verified.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I was prevented from disclaiming the compliment (if I should have done so, in any case), by the entrance of Agnes, now ushered in by Mr. Micawber.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I bowed to, and disclaimed, the compliment.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

His being only a bystander was not disclaimed.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

The Colonel, though disclaiming all pretensions to connoisseurship, warmly admired the screens, as he would have done any thing painted by Miss Dashwood; and on the curiosity of the others being of course excited, they were handed round for general inspection.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

I need not have been afraid of disclaiming the compliment.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Elizabeth had scarcely time to disclaim all right to the compliment, before their approach was announced by the door-bell, and shortly afterwards the three gentlemen entered the room.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Emma laughed and disclaimed.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)