What's the difference between abdicate and relent?

Abdicate


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To surrender or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; as, to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy.
  • (v. t.) To renounce; to relinquish; -- said of authority, a trust, duty, right, etc.
  • (v. t.) To reject; to cast off.
  • (v. t.) To disclaim and expel from the family, as a father his child; to disown; to disinherit.
  • (v. i.) To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or dignity.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The phrase "Defender of the Faith," which is usually included in the King's titles, appears neither in the instrument of abdication nor in the bill.
  • (2) The UK and Russia invade Iran and jointly occupy the country, forcing King Reza Shah to abdicate.
  • (3) If so, he would have to abdicate – as Baudouin of Belgium did for a day rather than ratify abortion .
  • (4) Saudis speculate quietly that King Salman may eventually abdicate in favour of his son and bypass Bin Nayef, who has no sons of his own.
  • (5) They solve it, correctly, by making him abdicate, with a bit of help from Prince William’s wife, Kate.
  • (6) If members of other parties feel their input is vital, they can start by contributing to the debate and ensuring they are behind the government's efforts without abdicating their constitutional role as opposition.
  • (7) The psychopathological risk is the "burning out" of the subject, and the defences developed against it, such as humour (casualness), aloofness (abdication), deviance and drug-dependence.
  • (8) Balls, Labour's shadow treasury spokesman, warned that the UK government's hands-off stance on Europe meant one of the top three economies in the EU was in effect abdicating responsibility for resolving a crisis that could engulf the British economy.
  • (9) When blatant falsehoods are presented as truth on critical questions - by a film that touts itself as a journalistic presentation of actual events - insisting on apolitical appreciation of this "art" is indeed a reckless abdication.
  • (10) After the ceremony on Thursday, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will tour central Madrid in a motor cavalcade – a somewhat risky venture given the strength of republican sentiment that has emerged since the abdication was announced.
  • (11) That narrative is appealing because it allows us to abdicate our collective responsibility for a society – and an underlying set of public policies – that accepts and even ensures that a portion of our society will live on the streets, that some of us will be addicted to drugs, and that some of us will just have to deal with grinding poverty – and the traumas that often follow from it.
  • (12) Three patients did not respond to NOVP: two of these did not respond to MOPP or ABDIC, and two are currently without relapse following bone marrow transplant.
  • (13) His royal imperial highness has abdicated and the constitution is in abeyance.
  • (14) While the king's approval rating dropped steadily, that of his son Felipe remained stable at around 66%, leading many to suggest that the monarchy would be better off if the king abdicated.
  • (15) Doxorubicin-containing regimens, such as ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and ABDIC (doxorubicin, bleomycin, dacarbazine, lomustine, prednisone), have been second-line treatments that have significant antitumor effect and, as such, have resulted in few, if any, long-term cures in most series.
  • (16) The palace recently took the unusual step of denying the abdication rumours.
  • (17) There is therefore no reason why the monarch should abdicate.
  • (18) Rajoy's government must now pass a law creating a legal mechanism for Felipe's assumption of power, which will then allow Juan Carlos to set a date for his formal abdication.
  • (19) So are we then being hoodwinked into thinking if we take this pill, we can abdicate responsibility for all our health needs because we've taken a pill?"
  • (20) Brexit would free UK from 'spirit-crushing' green directives, says minister Read more “Once you abdicate responsibility for something like the environment to the EU, there is a danger that it infantilises the government machine at all levels and people just sit and wait to be told what to do,” Eustice said.

Relent


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
  • (v. i.) To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion.
  • (v. t.) To slacken; to abate.
  • (v. t.) To soften; to dissolve.
  • (v. t.) To mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe.
  • (n.) Stay; stop; delay.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) There was no chance of Visca relenting and in the 32nd minute he crossed for Zukanovic, whose weak header was saved easily by Darren Randolph.
  • (2) Anas, a nurse, had wanted her children to stay but she relented and sold her gold jewellery when her son Salim found a way to get to Brazil, where he now has asylum after failing to reach the US.
  • (3) His face was found carved into tree trunks all over Celtic lands and his hold over the early Britons was so powerful that early Christians relented and adopted the green man's image as a force for good and a symbol of new life and renewal.
  • (4) Initially, the Cabinet Office resisted giving details of Nesta's investment saying it was commercially confidential, but later relented following advice from the audit office.
  • (5) But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people Barack Obama Asked by Republican governors on Monday whether he might relent in the case of a pipeline extension that supporters argue will have negligible impact on greenhouse gas emissions but has been a totemic issue for environmentalists, Obama reportedly told the group it “ain’t gonna happen”.
  • (6) But he'd usually relent and read them by Wednesday."
  • (7) Kim Davis is out of jail – will she relent and issue same-sex marriage licenses?
  • (8) By the time people relent and sign on, they've exhausted every option.
  • (9) When the broadcasters relented and included the Greens, the prime minister suggested that the Democratic Unionist Party should be included.
  • (10) Apple has relented and sweetly smooth MMS implementation is now available.
  • (11) "I am surprised at this decision since China wants to promote openness and the rule of law, and I hope that they will relent and let me in.
  • (12) Fearful of the connections his son had been forming back home, his father reportedly confiscated Abedi’s passport, relenting only when his son told him he was going on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
  • (13) Patrick Bamford signs new Chelsea deal and makes Crystal Palace loan move Read more Mourinho maintains the Premier League champions have dealt with the move for the 21-year-old, which could break the record for an English defender, in the correct manner and he will not relent in his pursuit.
  • (14) Thus, unless factors independent of or complicating the calcium stone disease supervene, the renal insufficiency of treated patients remains mild and relently progressive.
  • (15) When he wouldn't relent, she draped him with a white rosary for safe passage.
  • (16) Miliband relented, and Balls took the exam, including clapping rhythmically, in the formal, unforgiving atmosphere music examiners love to generate.
  • (17) Merkel is apparently in Paris on Monday to thrash this issue out with Sarkozy, just four days ahead of the next EU Summit but Merkel is extremely unlikely to relent.
  • (18) But Cameron was forced to relent and let loose the Eurosceptics in cabinet, who have fanned out to hit the Sunday papers and broadcasts.
  • (19) The Kremlin, whose long slide into autocracy shows no sign of relenting, made deals with several of them, knowing it would be easier to keep them on side than to open up Russia's economy to proper procedures, competition, and fair trade.
  • (20) But he said that it would give Channel 4 more flexibility in how the programming budget was spent, assuming the advertising recession relents.