Synonyms

avow

American

[uh-vou] / əˈvaʊ /

verb (used with object)

to declare frankly or openly; assert; confess; admit.

He avowed himself an opponent of all alliances.

Synonyms:

profess, own, declare, affirm, acknowledge

Antonyms:

repudiate, disavow, deny

avow British

/ əˈvaʊd, əˈvaʊ, əˈvaʊɪdlɪ /

verb

to state or affirm
to admit openly
rare law to justify or maintain (some action taken)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

avowable adjective
avowal noun
avowed adjective
avowedly adverb
avower noun
reavow verb (used with object)
unavowable adjective
unavowableness noun
unavowably adverb

Etymology

Origin of avow

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English avowen, from Old French avoue(r), from Latin advocāre; advocate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As a cleric in his 20s, he encountered Khomeini, a charismatic religious leader and avowed opponent of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.

From Los Angeles Times

Doing so, the president avowed, would be unsportsmanlike.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sokol is an avowed fan of “Atlas Shrugged,” the 1957 novel by Ayn Rand that made a moral case for capitalism and self interest.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It feels magic... the adrenaline!" said Ibrahimovic, an avowed non-skier who joked: "I didn't qualify for the downhill, I'm aiming for next year!"

From Barron's

Rodriguez has the avowed loyalty of Venezuela's military and state institutions: her brother is the influential head of parliament.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023