abatement

American  

[uh-beyt-muhnt] / əˈbeɪt mənt /

noun

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

   Synonyms:

   diminution, letup

   Antonyms:

   increase, 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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Etymology

Origin of abatement

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

Example Sentences

City officials even offered the warehouse owner, Dalfen Industrial, 10 years’ worth of tax abatement, totaling about $20 million, if they agreed not to sell their warehouse to DHS.

From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026

“Once you have a carbon price into the mid-teens, and certainly into the twenties, that’s a very healthy level. You can drive a lot of abatement with a carbon price at those levels.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

This might look like fire abatement measures in wildfire-prone areas, or updating HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, or earthquake retrofitting — which also improve home values when you’re ready to sell.

From Salon • May 13, 2025

Magistrates agreed to support the appeal and lift the noise abatement notice.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2025

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