abdication
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of abdication
First recorded in 1545–55, abdication is from the Latin word abdicātiōn- (stem of abdicātiō ). See abdicate, -ion
Explanation
Abdication is the formal act of stepping down from something, especially a king giving up the throne. An abdication is a type of resignation. When a king — or another person in power — gives up that position, they abdicate. Such an act is then called an abdication. The roots of this word mean declare in Latin, and that's an important part of the meaning. Abdicating isn't just quitting: it's formally quitting, including a declaration of quitting. There’s no such thing as a private abdication. After an abdication, there's a vacuum of power, and there may be a power struggle to fill the empty position.
Vocabulary lists containing abdication
Vocabulary From the Ninth Democratic Debate, April 14, 2016
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Breadcrumbs
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The Family Romanov
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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.
An absence and abdication of leadership has characterized her 3½ years as mayor.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
But now his abdication moment has arrived, a year earlier than planned.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
He became king of Scotland in the cradle, following the abdication of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
The abdication, Max Kennedy said, is a terrible example for students.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025
And by destruction I mean precisely the abdication by Americans of any effort really to be free.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
