abolitionist

[ab-uh-lish-uh-nist]

noun

1. (especially prior to the Civil War) a person who advocated or supported the abolition of slavery in the U.S.

2. a person who favors the abolition of any law or practice deemed harmful to society.

   the abolitionists who are opposed to capital punishment.

Other Word Forms

• proabolitionist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolitionist¹

First recorded in 1830–40; abolition + -ist

Example Sentences

Radical abolitionist John Brown and his sons hacked five men to death with swords.

From Los Angeles Times

As slavery reached the zenith of its power, abolitionists would destroy the white consensus upon which it depended.

From Salon

During the campaign, she described herself as an abolitionist — someone who supports the abolition of police and prisons.

From Los Angeles Times

U.S. officials first announced in 2016 that a ship would be named for Milk, as well as for abolitionist Sojourner Truth, Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren, Atty.

From Los Angeles Times

Consider the Haitian Revolution, American abolitionist movement, and suffragist campaigns: history shows that morally expansive recognition of rights, even to beings considered “property,” often aligns with broader human liberation.

From Salon