Renouncs and Denounce are verbs have the same root -nounce, “to shout” which also appears in the words announce and pronounce.
Renounce means “to commit to stop doing something or stop having something”— such as when you quit smoking, or stop eating meat. It can also be used for more abstract things.
Denounce ,on the other hand, is still a kind of announcement. It cannot be done without words. To denounce is to say that a person, organization, activity, or belief is bad—to say so very strongly.
Examples of Renounce in a Sentence
Here are a few examples of how renounce might be used in a sentence:
I renounced watching television when I realized it makes people stupid.
It feels good to renounce anger.
Have you renounced your loyalty to that bad leader?
Renounce can also refer to just saying that you are renouncing:
He renounced drinking to his family but he continued to drink.
Originally, renounce indicated only the announcement, as in the above sentence, and still means making the commitment, not necessarily fulfilling it.
Examples of Denounce in a Sentence
The Pope has firmly denounced atheism.
Many nations denounced North Korea’s missile test.
The president was denounced for lying to the people.
Additionally, the meaning of denounce includes distancing oneself from that which one denounces.
A Deeper Dive into the Difference Between "Renounce" and "Denounce"
As previously stated, denounce means to speak out against a person, idea, or course of action, i.e., to announce that someone or something is wrong morally:
Every politician denounced the practice of separating migrant children from parents.
Denounce does not apply to things that are wrong in other senses. For example, you cannot denounce a factual error or a mistake in calculations. And denounce must involve verbal expression (i.e., speaking or writing). It is literally a kind of announcement.
Now, renounce can also mean a kind of announcement – “to announce that one will not do something, or be associated with someone or something”:
After seeing the film about factory farms, the boy renounced eating meat.
But, as implied by this example, one can also renounce things, without saying so out loud. So, renounce can also be used to describe giving something up, without making any announcement:
The boy did not tell anyone he had renounced eating meat; he just stopped doing it.
One can also renounce more abstract associations:
After January sixth, my friend renounced Trump’s leadership.
In this way, renounce can be stronger than “give up” or “let go of”; it implies that one stands against what one renounces.