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

Millstein, an executive at real-estate investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, will likely lose a $13,000 annual abatement he receives on his Manhattan pad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

A spokeswoman for Witkoff said that after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal, he paid the city nearly $78,000 for the years he wasn’t eligible for the 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 three women sat talking about various miseries they had had, their cure or abatement, what had helped.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Local governments have also offered property-tax abatements to attract the centers, which in the long run can generate revenue to fund schools and police departments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 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

In 2001, Boeing moved its headquarters from Seattle, where it had been founded in 1916, to Chicago, prompted largely by tens of millions of dollars in tax abatements and other benefits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025

Eight whole days it lasted, with only two slight abatements which, while they raised his hopes only to dash them, still served him mightily.

From A Maid of the Silver Sea by John Oxenham

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