abnéguer

A rare literary back-formation from the noun abnégation (self-sacrifice, selflessness), meaning "to renounce" or "to sacrifice" (oneself, one's interests) for a greater cause. The noun abnégation is common; the verb itself is not — most French speakers use the noun and never conjugate this verb at all.

• Elle abnègue son propre confort pour aider les autres. — She sacrifices her own comfort to help others.
• Il abnègue toute ambition personnelle au profit de la cause. — He renounces all personal ambition for the sake of the cause.
• Un texte rare qui emploie le verbe plutôt que le nom abnégation. — A rare text that uses the verb rather than the noun abnégation.

Learners who know the noun abnégation sometimes assume the verb is just as common — in practice, French speakers describe self-sacrifice with the noun (faire preuve d'abnégation) or with se sacrifier, almost never with this verb.

Often confused with sacrifier.