abatement

American  

[uh-bayt-muhnt] / əˈbeɪt mənt /

noun

• abatements
  plural

1. the act or state of abating or the state of being abated; reduction; decrease; alleviation; mitigation.

   Synonyms:

   diminution, letup

   Antonyms:

   increase, intensification

2. suppression or termination.

   abatement of a nuisance; noise abatement.

   Synonyms:

   cessation, end

3. an amount deducted or subtracted, as from the usual price or the full tax.

4. Law.

   1. a reduction of a tax assessment.

   2. the termination of a nuisance.

   3. a wrongful entry on land made by a stranger, after the owner's death and before the owner's heir or devisee has obtained possession.

   4. a decrease in the legacies of a will when the assets of an estate are insufficient to pay all general legacies in full.

5. Also called rebatement. Heraldry. a charge or mark that, when introduced into a coat of arms, indicates the owner's disgrace.

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abatement British  

/ əˈbeɪtmənt /

noun

1. diminution or alleviation; decrease

2. suppression or termination

   the abatement of a nuisance

3. the amount by which something is reduced, such as the cost of an article

4. property law a decrease in the payment to creditors or legatees when the assets of the debtor or estate are insufficient to meet all payments in full

5. property law (formerly) a wrongful entry on land by a stranger who takes possession after the death of the owner and before the heir has entered into possession

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• abatements
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of abatement

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French; equivalent to abate + -ment

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Explanation

An abatement is a reduction or lessening. If you start bluntly telling people what you think of them, you might see an abatement in their friendliness toward you. Abatement comes from the French word for batter, but abatement doesn’t usually have a negative sense — abatement reduces something, but doesn’t beat it to a pulp. Many cities offer tax abatements to reward businesses starting up in areas they want to develop. If your heat doesn't work, you could sue your landlord for a rent abatement, since you shouldn't have to pay rent for days you don't have heat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abatement abatements

This "indicates conditions for corals are worsening significantly... not at all surprising given the accelerated warming and lack of abatement of global drivers of coral decline", said Obura.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

“The continued application of the abatement here was inadvertent and resulted from that gap in process, not from any misrepresentation by the owners,” Pollack said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

In an effort to ameliorate the city’s budget crunch, the Mamdani administration earlier this year also said it would strengthen verification efforts to weed out owners who shouldn’t be getting the primary-residence abatement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Lauren Truslow is chief executive of 3D Enviro, a Virginia company that does hazardous materials abatement with a handful of workers affected by the TPS expiration for El Salvador.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

The research was part of a study examining lead abatement methods, and all families involved were black.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

On Wednesday, Nevada’s Democratic candidate for governor, Aaron Ford, pledged to end tax abatements for new data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

In the 2025 fiscal year, the IRS granted first-time penalty abatements to nearly 220,000 taxpayers, Collins said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Water Street in lower Manhattan has been a popular area for the makeovers, earning it the nickname "Conversion Alley," with buildings offering a mix of luxury and affordably-priced apartments to qualify for municipal abatements.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

What Chicago offered, however, were tax abatements and other benefits worth $60 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2024

Of the remedies which are suggested, the alteration of the Fiscal system, by making abatements in the Irish Excise and Customs, is not likely to be attempted.

From Ireland and the Home Rule Movement by Michael F. J. McDonnell

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