abduct

American  

[ab-duhkt] / æbˈdʌkt /

verb (used with object)

abducts, present (3rd person singular) abducted, past participle, past abducting present participle

1. to carry off or lead away (a person) illegally and in secret or by force, especially to kidnap.

2. Physiology. to move or draw away from the axis of the body or limb (opposed to adduct).

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abduct British  

/ æbˈdʌkt /

verb

1. to remove (a person) by force or cunning; kidnap

2. (of certain muscles) to pull (a leg, arm, etc) away from the median axis of the body Compare adduct

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• abductor
  noun
• unabducted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• abducting
  present
• abducted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• abduct
  simple
• abducts
  simple
• have abducted
  perfect
• has abducted
  perfect
• am abducting
  progressive
• are abducting
  progressive
• is abducting
  progressive
• have been abducting
  perfect progressive
• has been abducting
  perfect progressive

Past

• abducted
  simple
• had abducted
  perfect
• was abducting
  progressive
• were abducting
  progressive
• had been abducting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will abduct
  simple
• will have abducted
  perfect
• will be abducting
  progressive
• will have been abducting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of abduct

1825–35; < Latin abductus, past participle of abdūcere to abduce

Compare meaning

How does abduct compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• abduct vs. adduct

Explanation

To abduct someone is to commit the crime of kidnapping person and holding them for ransom. Being abducted is one of the worst things that can happen to you. Fortunately, it's very rare. To abduct is to kidnap — to take someone against their will and imprison them. After an abduction, the abductors (kidnappers) may send a ransom note, asking for money.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abduct abducts abducted abducting

And hey, did you know that the word “raptor”—which is often used to describe birds of prey—comes from the Latin verb rapio, which means to plunder, rob, ravish, or abduct?

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2026

He is doubtful that authorities will actually act against those who abduct their children, adding that there is still very little detail about how the joint custody system will actually be enforced.

From BBC ● May 17, 2024

The first attempt to abduct Dot, for example, closely mirrors the sequence in the Coens’ “Fargo” where Jean Lundegaard has her morning routine disrupted by intruders, though Dot proves far more capable of defending herself.

From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

Cher addresses her daughter-in-law’s allegation that she attempted to abduct her son Elijah Blue Allman from a New York hotel room in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2023

The sluggers didn’t abduct them, though, they abducted me, and all I can do is be honest.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Pak Jun Do abducts civilians from Japan, spies on radio broadcasts as a surveillance officer and even steals the identity of a government minister, all while struggling to avoid the prison mines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

Stree 2, a horror-comedy about a mysterious woman battling a monster who abducts free-thinking women, was the year's second-biggest hit, playing in cinemas for months.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2024

When the witch returns on that date and abducts Nevena — having rendered her mute in infancy — the young woman embarks on an astonishing, shape-shifting journey of death and discovery.

From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2022

An Arab chieftain abducts a U.S. widow and her children; President Theodore Roosevelt sends the Marines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2021

Instead of doing the one natural thing, Don Manuel abducts his sweetheart during the night, with her consent, and takes her to a garden in Messina.

From The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller by Thomas, Calvin

Experts say investigators’ best bet to solving the case quickly would be if someone recognizes the suspect in Nest video footage, a masked man seen on Guthrie’s porch the morning she was abducted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar and his wife Amina were abducted in the north-western state of Katsina at the end of last month.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

Elizabeth Smart—who made headlines when she was abducted at age 14—is now 38 and a married mother of three.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

Malian opposition figures and military personnel have been detained or abducted following large-scale attacks by jihadists and separatists on junta positions, security, legal and family sources told AFP on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

I wished I knew how to make Diego believe me; I wished the aliens had abducted him, too, so we could have watched the stars together.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

However security is handled, there will be no ICE officers surveying the crowd with facial-recognition software and abducting people for unstated reasons.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

We’ve all seen the appalling videos of masked agents ambushing and abducting these migrants in the halls of New York’s immigration court as they’re leaving a hearing.

From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2026

Brueckner then travelled to Braunschweig, where he tried to confront the prosecutors who accuse him of abducting Maddie, but was turned away, the report said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

A Conservative MP is trying to overturn a government-backed plan to make abducting cats a criminal offence in England and Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2024

Phelps’s husband learned that Anthony had helped his wife escape, and he accused her of abducting his child, but Anthony refused to give him any information about their whereabouts.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• kidnap
• seize
• snatch