Resign vs. Re Sign – Which is Correct?
Resign and re-sign are both correct, but they have different meanings. “Resign” means to leave a job or position, while “re-sign” means to sign a contract again, often to continue an agreement. Use the hyphen in “re-sign” to prevent confusion. “Re sign” as two unhyphenated words is generally not standard.
Resign or Re Sign – Which is Correct?
Resign and re-sign are both valid American English words, but they describe opposite actions in many professional contexts. To resign is to voluntarily leave a job, office, or position. To re-sign is to sign a contract again, usually to renew or extend an agreement.
The form re sign, written as two separate words without a hyphen, is generally not the standard spelling when you mean “sign again.” The hyphen in re-sign makes the meaning immediately clear.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the leave versus continue test. If someone is leaving a position, use resign: “The director resigned.” If someone is continuing an agreement by signing again, use re-sign: “The athlete re-signed with the team.” The hyphen signals that re- means “again.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| resign | Verb | To leave a job, office, or position voluntarily | The manager decided to resign. |
| re-sign | Verb | To sign a contract or agreement again | The club hopes to re-sign its captain. |
How to Use Resign
Resign is a verb meaning to formally leave a job, office, appointment, or position. It is most commonly used in professional, political, academic, and organizational contexts. The word usually suggests a voluntary decision, although the surrounding context may explain whether pressure or controversy influenced the decision.
The tone of resign is generally formal and professional. In casual conversation, people may say that someone “quit,” but resign is more appropriate in a letter, workplace announcement, news report, or official statement.
Example 1: She decided to resign from her position at the end of the month.
Example 2: The board chair resigned after accepting a new role.
Example 3: Employees are usually expected to give notice before they resign.
What are the different forms of Resign?
Resign is a regular verb. Its third-person singular present form is resigns, its present participle is resigning, and its simple past and past participle are both resigned.
- Present: resign or resigns
- Present participle: resigning
- Past tense: resigned
- Past participle: resigned
For example: “He resigns from the committee,” “He is resigning from the committee,” and “He resigned from the committee.”
Etymology of the word Resign
Resign comes from the Latin resignare, meaning “to cancel,” “release,” or “unseal.” It entered English through French and Latin-influenced usage. Over time, its meaning developed to include formally giving up an office, duty, or position.
How to Use Re-sign
Re-sign means to sign something again. It is commonly used when a person renews an employment contract, a sports contract, a lease, or another formal agreement. The word often appears in business, law, entertainment, and sports writing.
The hyphen is important because it separates re-, meaning “again,” from sign. Without the hyphen, resign may be read as meaning “quit.” In carefully edited writing, use re-sign when you mean “sign again.”
Example 1: The company offered the designer a new contract, and she agreed to re-sign.
Example 2: The team hopes to re-sign its leading scorer before the season begins.
Example 3: Both parties met to re-sign the lease for another year.
What are the different forms of Re-sign?
Re-sign is a regular verb. Its forms retain the hyphen: re-signs, re-signing, and re-signed. The past tense and past participle are both re-signed.
- Present: re-sign or re-signs
- Present participle: re-signing
- Past tense: re-signed
- Past participle: re-signed
For example: “The company re-signs its suppliers annually,” “The player is re-signing with the club,” and “The actor re-signed for the sequel.”
Etymology of the word Re-sign
Re-sign is formed from the prefix re-, meaning “again,” and the verb sign, which comes from the Latin signum, meaning “mark” or “seal.” The hyphen helps readers recognize the word’s structure and distinguish it from resign, which has a different meaning and historical development.
Related Concepts
Understanding prefixes, hyphenation, and context makes it easier to distinguish these two similarly spelled verbs.
- Prefixes: The prefix re- often means “again,” as in rebuild, rewrite, and re-sign. In re-sign, it indicates that a person signs a document another time.
- Hyphenation: A hyphen can clarify a word’s meaning and prevent confusion. The hyphen in re-sign distinguishes it from resign.
- Context: The surrounding words often reveal the intended meaning. A person resigns from a role but re-signs a contract or with an organization.
- Formal workplace language: Resign is a formal alternative to “quit,” especially in official notices, business writing, and news reports.
Examples from Media and Literature
Both words frequently appear in professional, political, business, and sports coverage. The following examples show how context determines the meaning.
- News reports: A political story may state that a minister “resigned after the investigation,” meaning that the minister left the government position.
- Sports journalism: A team announcement may report that a club “re-signed its captain,” meaning that the captain agreed to a new contract.
- Business reporting: An article about corporate leadership might explain that a chief executive “resigned from the company” after a change in strategy.
- Entertainment coverage: A film industry report may say that an actor “re-signed for the next installment,” meaning that the actor agreed to return under a new contract.
- Workplace writing: A formal letter may begin, “Please accept this letter as notice that I am resigning from my position,” clearly indicating departure.
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
- The employee decided to ______ after receiving a new job offer. (resign / re-sign)
- The basketball team wants to ______ its star forward. (resign / re-sign)
- She submitted a formal letter announcing that she would ______ from the committee. (resign / re-sign)
- The landlord asked the tenant to ______ the agreement for another year. (resign / re-sign)
- The director will ______ if the board rejects the proposal. (resign / re-sign)
Answer Key
- resign — The employee is leaving the job.
- re-sign — The team wants the player to sign another contract.
- resign — She is leaving her committee position.
- re-sign — The tenant will sign the agreement again.
- resign — The director will leave the position.
Resign Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| quit | To leave a job or activity; more common and less formal than “resign.” |
| step down | To leave a position of authority or leadership. |
| retire | To leave employment permanently, usually after reaching a certain age or completing a career. |
| withdraw | To remove oneself from a role, activity, or responsibility. |
Re-sign Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| renew | To extend an agreement, contract, subscription, or other arrangement. |
| extend | To make an existing agreement continue for a longer period. |
| recontract | To enter into a contract again, although this term is less common in everyday writing. |
| continue under contract | To remain bound by a renewed or extended formal agreement. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “re sign” correct without a hyphen?
When you mean “sign again,” the standard form is usually re-sign, with a hyphen. The unhyphenated phrase re sign is generally not preferred in edited American English.
Question 2: What is the difference between resign and re-sign?
Resign means to leave a job, office, or position. Re-sign means to sign a contract or agreement again, often to renew it.
Question 3: Can “resign” ever mean “sign again”?
In standard modern usage, resign normally means “quit” or “give up a position.” To avoid ambiguity, write re-sign when you mean “sign again.”
Question 4: Is “resigned” used for both meanings?
Yes. The past form of resign is resigned, while the past form of re-sign is re-signed. The hyphen remains important: “She resigned” means she quit, while “She re-signed” means she signed again.
Conclusion
Resign means to leave a job, office, or position, while re-sign means to sign a contract again. The hyphen in re-sign is essential because it separates the prefix re- and prevents confusion with resign. Pro Tip: Use the correct spelling in professional emails, contracts, and resignation letters because a missing hyphen can change the meaning and affect your credibility.
