abolition

[ ab-uh-lish-uhn ]

noun

1. the act of abolishing or the state of being abolished: the abolition of capital punishment;

   the abolition of war;

   the abolition of capital punishment;

   the abolition of unfair taxes.

   Synonyms: invalidation, eradication, repeal, revocation, nullification, elimination, annihilation

   Antonyms: establishment

2. the legal prohibition of slavery, especially the institutional enslavement of Black people in the U.S.

abolition

/ ˌæbəˈlɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of abolishing or the state of being abolished; annulment
2. often capital (in British territories) the ending of the slave trade (1807) or the ending of slavery (1833): accomplished after a long campaign led by William Wilberforce
3. often capital (in the US) the emancipation of the slaves, accomplished by the Emancipation Proclamation issued in 1863 and ratified in 1865

Derived Forms

• ˌaboˈlitionist, nounadjective
• ˌaboˈlitionism, noun
• ˌaboˈlitionary, adjective

Other Words From

• abo·lition·ary adjective
• nonab·o·lition noun
• proab·o·lition adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolition¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin abolitiōn- (stem of abolitiō ), equivalent to abolit(us) “effaced, destroyed,” past participle of abolēre “to destroy, efface” + -iōn- noun suffix; abolish, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolition¹

C16: from Latin abolitio, from abolēre to destroy

Example Sentences

The son of immigrants himself, Ho has written eloquently in support of this principle, refuting conservative arguments for its abolition.

From Slate

A blanket commutation would realize Mr. Biden’s anti-death-penalty stance and move the United States further along the path to abolition.

From Slate

For them, the idea of liberty pointed to the tangible abolition of slavery and racial hierarchy; reform represented the persistent human action required to achieve liberty through moral, social and political processes; and progression suggests a practical commitment to the possibility of effecting positive political change and acknowledges the potential for future improvement to be contingent rather than inevitable.

From Salon

And she described herself as an “abolitionist” — someone who favors the “abolition of police and the prison industrial complex.”

From Los Angeles Times

In both contests, police abolition — and law enforcement spending overall — has emerged as a political fault line, particularly for voters worried about crime and disorder.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abolishment
• abrogation
• annulment
• cancellation
• destruction
• dissolution
• elimination
• eradication
• nullification
• overthrow
• repeal
• revocation
• termination
• withdrawal