abolish
Americanverb (used with object)
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abolishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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abolished,
past participle, past
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abolishing
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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abolishernoun
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abolishmentnoun
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abolishableadjective
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unabolishableadjective
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unabolishedadjective
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well-abolishedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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abolishsimple
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abolishessimple
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have abolishedperfect
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has abolishedperfect
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am abolishingprogressive
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are abolishingprogressive
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is abolishingprogressive
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have been abolishingperfect progressive
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has been abolishingperfect progressive
Past
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abolishedsimple
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had abolishedperfect
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was abolishingprogressive
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were abolishingprogressive
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had been abolishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of abolish
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French aboliss-, long stem of abolir, from Latin abolēre “to destroy, efface”
Explanation
To abolish is to get rid of or annul. So when the principal yells at you for the 100th time for not having your shirt tucked in, it's safe to wish they'd just abolish the silly dress code. The word abolish might stir up some historical connotations, since in the U.S. it's commonly associated with bringing an end to slavery. In fact, those who opposed slavery were called "abolitionists." The word comes to us from the Latin word abolere, meaning "to destroy or cause to die out." These days abolish is used to bring a final and official-sounding end to laws, codes, and unsavory practices.
Vocabulary lists containing abolish
List 1
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The Declaration of Independence
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Life Is So Good
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In 1833, the UK parliament passed a law to abolish slavery in most of the British Empire.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
He also has pledged to abolish the Department of Motor Vehicles and reduce registration fees to $73.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
And we absolutely need to abolish the concept that going to a concert alone is any kind of abnormal or undesirable behavior.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
In 2020 after the killing of George Floyd generated widespread campus calls for social justice, another movement to abolish Greek life sprung up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Garfield also pushed for passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery, a change in the Constitution favored by Lincoln and the Republican Party.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
The new version of the constitution also declares Uzbekistan a "social state" with increased welfare obligations, abolishes death penalty, establishes greater personal legal protection, and allows non-farming land ownership.
From Reuters ● Apr. 27, 2023
"It simply abolishes what we already have," Prof Sampson told BBC News.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2023
The deal abolishes 99% of taxes on exports, saving Australia about $10 billion on exports including lamb, beef, sugar and dairy.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
Another new Maryland law abolishes life without parole sentences for juveniles, making Maryland law consistent with statutes enacted in the District and about 20 states.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2021
The public law of Europe formerly permitted a master to reclaim his bondsman, within a limited period, wherever he could find him, and one of the capitularies of Charlemagne abolishes the rule of prescription.
From Report of the Decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Opinions of the Judges Thereof, in the Case of Dred Scott versus John F.A. Sandford December Term, 1856. by Benjamin C. Howard
The state’s electorate reaffirmed its support a decade ago, voting down a ballot initiative that would have abolished capital punishment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Italy abolished the death penalty and prohibits extradition to countries where a defendant may face the death penalty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The program comes days after the Supreme Court abolished limits on the purchase of rural land by foreigners.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Every coin America has ever abolished, from the half-cent in 1857 forward, died the same way.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Black told Gold that the Soviet government had abolished private property and was making all the decisions about what the economy should produce, and how goods should be distributed.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Illinois’ Quinn commuted all existing death sentences the same day he signed a bill abolishing capital punishment in his state.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
The other barrier to abolishing fraternities is their popularity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
When Watters pressed him about abolishing ICE, he did not surrender the moral argument or get stuck in a defensive loop.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
But Thomas warned that plans to keep more middle-ranking cases before magistrates by abolishing defendants' rights to ask for a jury trial could backfire - not least because of a shortage of magistrates.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
After the meeting, a network of two thousand women set off on a nationwide mission to collect signatures on a petition urging Congress to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, abolishing slavery.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
