abduction

¹

[ab-duhk-shuhn]

noun

1. act of abducting.

2. the state of being abducted.

3. Law.,  the illegal carrying or enticing away of a person, especially by interfering with a relationship, such as the taking of a child from their parent.

abduction

²

[ab-duhk-shuhn]

noun

Logic.

1. a syllogism whose major premise is certain but whose minor premise is probable.

Word History and Origins

Origin of abduction¹

First recorded in 1620–30; abduct + -ion

Origin of abduction²

First recorded in 1690–1700, abduction is from the New Latin word abductiōn- (stem of abductiō; translation of Greek apagōgḗ ). See abduct, -ion

Example Sentences

The heavy-handed reaction of security forces to the protests—jail-cell beatings, drive-by abductions and outright killings—has intensified the protesters’ fury.

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The last time she saw her son was in a video of his abduction posted on social media on 7 October 2023.

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Telling her she was her "only hope", she sent doctored images to show they were "somehow related" and claimed to have memories of life before the abduction, the court heard.

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Njagi was also picked up in Kenya last year by masked men during a wave of abductions believed to have been targeting government critics in the country.

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President Prabowo himself is accused of human rights abuses, such as the abduction of dissidents, under Suharto’s rule.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• kidnapping www.thesaurus.com
• rape 
• seizure 
• theft