noun

resignation

rez-ig-NAY-shun/ˌrezɪɡˈneɪʃn/

The formal act of leaving a job or position.

The manager hands her resignation to the director.

An office manager hands their work badge and keys to a supervisor and walks away from the desk, showing the formal act of giving up the position.

Etymology

reLatinperhaps opposite or undoing

+signLatinto mark; enter in an account

+ationLatinaction or process

Marking an account with re-, perhaps meaning “opposite,” suggests a balancing entry that canceled a claim. The resulting sense of giving something up underlies formally relinquishing an office or position.

In context

Tifo Football by The Athletic speaker0:17

when Florentino Pérez announced his resignation as president of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid's Presidential Election Scandal of 2006

TEDx Talks speaker0:38

I put my resignation letter into cupcakes and pass them out at the office.

Lessons learned from making a new friend every day for a year: Maria Scileppi at TEDxVeniceBeach

More examples

His resignation took effect at the end of the month.
The board accepted three resignations.
She submitted her resignation after finding another job.

Forms

resignation · resignations

resign verb — formally leave a position

Similar words

departure: Broader; does not necessarily involve formally giving up a position.
retirement: Usually marks the end of a career or regular working life.