resigned
UK[rɪˈzaɪnd]US[rɪˈzaɪnd]
adj
Having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot change
Morpheme Breakdown
re
sign
ed
re
again
sign
mark
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
The adjective "resigned" originates from the past participle of the verb "resign," which entered English in the late 14th century from the Old French resigner, itself from the Latin resignare meaning "to unseal, annul, give up." The Latin components are re- (expressing reversal, "back") and signare ("to sign, mark"). The literal sense was to unseal or cancel by marking again, which evolved into the concept of giving up a position or claim. The modern adjectival meaning, describing a state of passive acceptance of the inevitable, developed from the idea of having formally given up one's claim or fight against a circumstance, metaphorically "signing it away."
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + sign (mark) + ed (adjective suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- sign: Latin origin (from signum), meaning "mark" or "token". In this context, it relates to the act of signing one's name.
- ed: Old English origin, a suffix used to form adjectives from verbs, indicating a state or condition.
Examples
She had a resigned look on her face as she accepted the news.
He was resigned to the fact that the project would be delayed.
They listened with resigned patience to the lengthy instructions.