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.
The abdication of curatorial responsibility here might have been at least partially forgivable if the show were stuffed with so much engaging work that finding a unifying through-line proved nearly impossible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
It isn’t enough to be enraged about this national abdication; we need to build a plan to fix it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025
The abdication, Max Kennedy said, is a terrible example for students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
At the time of the gift, Elizabeth's parents were the Duke and Duchess of York, before her father ascended to the throne as George VI, following his brother Edward VIII's abdication.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025
Wilhelm fled across the Dutch border to take refuge in neutral Holland, where he signed his formal abdication as king of Prussia and German emperor.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
