Resignation Letter: Definition, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：resignation letter (resignation letter)

resignation letter 🔊

/ˌrɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən ˈlɛtər/

A formal document you write to your employer when you decide to leave your job.

resignation letter 🔊

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/ˌrɛzɪɡˈneɪʃən ˈlɛtər/

A formal written notification from an employee to their employer stating their intention to end their employment.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

resignation (Latin 'resignare' = to unseal, cancel) + letter (Latin 'littera' = written message).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine 're-sign' a document that signs you out of your job.

📖 Example

After much thought, Sarah handed in her resignation letter to pursue her passion for baking. 🔊 After careful consideration, Sarah submitted her resignation letter to follow her dream of baking.

🔗 Collocations

write a resignation letter – to compose a formal notice of quitting a job

submit a resignation letter – to give the resignation letter to the employer officially

hand in one's resignation letter – to deliver the resignation letter personally or through a formal process

🔄 Synonyms

letter of resignation (n.) – a formal document stating one's decision to leave a job

notice of resignation (n.) – a formal announcement of quitting a position

quitting letter (n.) – an informal term for a resignation letter

🚫 Antonyms

employment contract (n.) – a legal agreement that binds an employee to an employer

job offer letter (n.) – a document offering a position to a candidate

appointment letter (n.) – a letter confirming one's appointment to a job

🌱 Derivatives

resign (v.) – to voluntarily leave a job or position

resigner (n.) – a person who resigns

resignation (n.) – the act of resigning

📖 Cultural Story

The resignation letter became a formal business practice in the 19th century with the rise of corporate hierarchy. It symbolizes a voluntary end of employment.