request to leave; withdraw from a group; resign
Meanings
3 senses · 6 examplesverb
to request leave; to excuse oneself from a gathering
formalA polite way to inform others you need to leave an event, meeting, or gathering early.
Everyone, I'm not feeling well and will excuse myself first.
He excused himself from the meeting before it ended due to an urgent matter.
verb
to retire from a group; to step down from a team
Often used for athletes retiring from their sport or members leaving an organization.
This veteran, meritorious player officially retired from the national team today.
Several veteran players retired one after another due to injuries.
verb
to resign from a position; to request to step down from office
archaicAn older, formal term for resigning, especially from an official or government post. Less common in modern spoken language.
Being advanced in years, he submitted a memorial to the imperial court requesting to resign.
This official resigned in his old age and returned to his hometown to retire.