I. də̇ˈsklām noun
Etymology: Middle English disclaime, from Anglo-French, from disclaimer, desclamer
archaic : disclamation
II. verb
Etymology: Anglo-French disclaimer, desclamer, from des- dis- (I) + claimer, clamer, from Old French clamer to cry out, complain, claim — more at claim
intransitive verb
1. : to renounce or repudiate a legal claim : make a disclaimer
2.
a. obsolete : to disavow all part or share : make public denunciation or dissent
b. : to utter denial
Catherine colored, and disclaimed again — Jane Austen
3. obsolete : to cry out or declaim
transitive verb
1. : to renounce a legal claim to : deny or repudiate any interest in or connection with
2. : to deny or disavow (as a connection with or responsibility for)
disclaimed any knowledge of the contents of the letter
: repudiate , disown
disclaimed the libelous pamphlet
disclaiming any ill will toward him
3. : to deny or reject the right, validity, or authority of
disclaimed the charge that he received financial backing from oil interests
: deny , dispute
accords wisdom to his hands … but disclaims the wisdom of the heart — Ernest Ansermet
: renounce , repudiate
disclaimed the authority of the supreme pontiff
4. archaic : to deny (as a claim) : refuse
5.
a. of a herald : to denounce or make infamous (as one bearing arms without right or one usurping the title of esquire or gentleman) by proclamation
b. : to disown any claim to (as a right to bear arms) : disavow , renounce
Synonyms:
disclaim , disavow , repudiate , disown , disacknowledge , and disallow can mean, in common, to refuse to admit, accept, or approve. disclaim implies a refusal to admit or accept a claim, especially anything claimed or likely to be claimed in one's favor or against him
disclaim any responsibility for a crime
the ordinary qualifications of the novelist, all pretension to which he entirely disclaims — Richard Garnett
responded with characteristic modesty, disclaiming any right to special honor — D.G.Mandelbaum
disclaim any intention of leaving
disavow is close to disclaim but usually applies to denial of responsibility for something besides refusal to accept or approve
this Court always had disavowed the right to intrude its judgment upon questions of policy or morals — O.W.Holmes †1935
the error of … putting forth in a permanent form work that I might subsequently wish to disavow — Havelock Ellis
disavow the harsh materialism of mines and factories — Time
repudiate is usually to disclaim responsibility for what one has previously or implicitly acknowledged or accepted
a wise graduate student … accepted the degree for what it ostensibly stood for, and straightway repudiated everything it actually stood for — Bruce Dearing
a law which everyone recognizes in fact, though everyone repudiates it in theory — G.L.Dickinson
disown implies repudiation of something with which one has previously stood in close relationship, often implying disinheritance or abjuration
Keith and his followers were disowned by the orthodox Quakers — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
disown an erring son
disown earlier obligations contracted in his name by friends
disacknowledge is milder than disown, usually applying to repudiation of something by denying any knowledge of it
disacknowledge any responsibility to the community
disacknowledge a signature on a note
disallow implies the withholding or taking away of sanction or approval, sometimes implying rejection or condemnation
its duty of disallowing any proceedings which would infringe the rules of financial procedure — T.E.May
if he is going to drive while intoxicated … his right to a driving license must be disallowed — Lucius Garvin