WordGarden.iorenegade
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈɛnəɡˌeɪd/
US
- /ˈrɛnəˌɡeɪd/
Meanings
Noun
an unconventional or anti-establishment person
a person who abandons a cause, group, or allegiance and is seen as disloyal
Adjective
unconventional, anti-establishment, or defiantly outside the mainstream
having broken away from accepted authority, discipline, or control
Beyond the definition
A renegade is usually someone who turns against a group, cause, or set of beliefs they once followed. Picture a soldier leaving one side to join another, or a political figure breaking away from their party and refusing to stay loyal. The word once referred especially to someone who gave up their religion, but today it is used more broadly for people who reject the side they came from and choose their own way instead. It often suggests defiance, disloyalty, or independence, depending on the context. You might call a fighter who leaves their army a renegade, or describe a public figure as a renegade when they openly reject the rules of their own group.
The word "renegade" carries a sense of both defiance and betrayal. It comes from the Spanish word renegado, meaning "one who has denied," and it was first used for someone who turned away from their religion and joined another faith. Over time, the meaning widened and came to describe a person who leaves a cause, group, or loyalty behind and acts against it.
A renegade is not just someone with a different opinion. The idea usually involves a break in loyalty: leaving one side, rejecting its rules, or acting in opposition to it. In many contexts, the word suggests open rebellion. A soldier who deserts and fights for the other side can be called a renegade. So can a member of a movement who turns against it and starts working on their own.
The term can be used for people and groups, and sometimes as an adjective before a noun, as in "renegade troops" or "renegade members." It often has a negative tone, suggesting disloyalty, desertion, or dangerous independence. Still, in some modern uses, it can sound admiring, especially when it describes someone seen as bold, unconventional, or unwilling to follow the crowd. In short, a renegade is someone who breaks from their own side and goes their own way, often in a way others see as rebellious or disloyal.
Examples
- 1
Party politics
To party leaders, the senator looked like a renegade after he publicly opposed the new budget.
- 2
Military faction
A renegade group of soldiers took control of the radio station overnight.
- Phraserenegade group
a group acting without the approval or control of its own side
- 3
Movement rules
Within the movement, she was treated as a renegade because she rejected its strict rules.
- 4
Creative style
The magazine described the chef as a renegade who ignored culinary tradition and created his own style.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Teaching style
His renegade approach to teaching upset some older colleagues, but his students loved it.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- renegadenounverbadjective
Forms
- renegadespluralnounverbadjective