Surrender

Definition

• 1. Law. a. The giving up of an estate to the person who has it in reversion or remainder, so as to merge it in the larger estate; e.g. the giving up of a lease before its expiration; spec. the yielding up of a tenancy in a copyhold estate to the lord of the manor for a specified purpose; transf. a deed by which such surrender is made.

b. The giving up of letters patent granting an estate or office; Hist. the yielding up of tithes in Scotland to the Crown.

c. The action of surrendering to bail.

d. The giving up by a bankrupt of his property to his creditors or their assignees; also, his due appearance in the bankruptcy court for examination, as formerly required by the bankruptcy acts.

e. The abandonment of an insurance policy by the party assured on receiving part of the premiums. surrender value, the amount payable to an insured person on his surrendering his policy.

• 2. The giving up of something (or of oneself) into the possession or power of another who has or is held to have a claim to it; esp. (Mil., etc.) of combatants, a town, territory, etc. to an enemy or a superior. In wider sense: Giving up, resignation, abandonment.

b. Cards. In the game of ombre, the act of throwing up one's hand and paying one's forfeit to the pool instead of to an adversary.

• 3. An act of rendering (thanks). Obs. rare1.

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In Religion and Psychology

To surrender in spirituality and religion means that a believer completely gives up his own will and subjects his thoughts, ideas, and deeds to the will and teachings of a higher power. The term is also used in a similar manner, in some schools and approaches to psychology, in which sense it is an antonym of hostility, signifying something akin to acceptance of one's own nature and that of the world.

See also

• Abandon