abolish

[ uh-bol-ish ]

verb (used with object)

1. to do away with; put an end to; annul; make void:

   to abolish slavery.

   Synonyms: eliminate, extirpate, exterminate, extinguish, obliterate, annihilate, cancel, nullify, suppress

   Antonyms: establish

abolish

/ əˈbɒlɪʃ /

verb

1. tr to do away with (laws, regulations, customs, etc); put an end to

Derived Forms

• aˈbolisher, noun
• aˈbolishable, adjective
• aˈbolishment, noun

Other Word Forms

• a·bolish·a·ble adjective
• a·bolish·er noun
• a·bolish·ment noun
• una·bolish·a·ble adjective
• una·bolished adjective
• well-a·bolished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolish¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French aboliss-, long stem of abolir, from Latin abolēre “to destroy, efface”

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolish¹

C15: from Old French aboliss- (lengthened stem of abolir ), ultimately from Latin abolēre to destroy

Synonym Study

Abolish, eradicate, stamp out mean to do away completely with something. To abolish is to cause to cease, often by a summary order: to abolish a requirement. Stamp out implies forcibly making an end to something considered undesirable or harmful: to stamp out the opium traffic. Eradicate (literally, to tear out by the roots ), a formal word, suggests extirpation, leaving no vestige or trace: to eradicate all use of child labor.

Example Sentences

Whole life orders are considered the harshest penalty available to courts since capital punishment was abolished.

From BBC

It made the same call for dedicated rural crime teams ahead of the local elections last year, and has long said PCCs should be abolished.

From BBC

When he was in opposition, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber.

From BBC

When Oligui Nguema brushed off some parliamentarians' concern about the concentration of executive power in the presidency by abolishing the post of prime minister, there was little fuss.

From BBC

A government source said the review had no completion date, and ministers had not set a target for how many quangos, or quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, they wanted to abolish.

From BBC

Related Words

• abrogate
• annul
• cancel
• dissolve
• eradicate
• nullify
• overthrow
• overturn
• prohibit
• put an end to
• repeal
• rescind
• revoke
• set aside
• stamp out
• suppress
• terminate
• wipe out