abolition

noun

ab·​o·​li·​tion ˌa-bə-ˈli-shᵊn How to pronounce abolition (audio)
Synonyms of abolitionnext
1
: the act of officially ending or stopping something : the act of abolishing something
abolition of the death penalty
2
: the act of officially ending slavery
a proponent of abolition
abolitionary
ˌa-bə-ˈli-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce abolition (audio)
-ˌne-rē
adjective

Synonyms of abolition

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Examples of abolition in a Sentence

the abolition of a law calls for the abolition of the death penalty
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement The revolution still to come At the heart of the French Revolution of 1789 was the abolition of the privileges of the aristocracy and clergy. — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 The city had a large Black population, a storied history of abolition and an abundance of Black institutions, yet racial discrimination was still endemic. — Timothy Welbeck, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026 The Democrat, who took office in January, has restricted local cooperation with immigration enforcement operations and repeatedly called for the abolition of ICE. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Kim, who co-founded the festival in 1996 and raised nearly the entire budget for its inaugural edition single-handedly, also secured the abolition of censorship for films screened at that first edition. — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abolition

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French abolition, borrowed from Latin abolitiōn-, abolitiō, from aboli-, variant stem of abolēre "to abolish" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of abolition was in 1529

Rhymes for abolition

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Browse Nearby Words

abolishment
abolition
abolitionary
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Cite this Entry

“Abolition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolition. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

abolition

noun
ab·​o·​li·​tion ˌab-ə-ˈlish-ən How to pronounce abolition (audio)
1
: the act of officially ending or stopping something : the act of abolishing
2
: the abolishing of slavery
abolitionary
-ˈlish-ə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce abolition (audio)
adjective
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