abduction
1 Americannoun
noun
-
the act of taking someone away by force or cunning; kidnapping
-
the action of certain muscles in pulling a leg, arm, etc away from the median axis of the body
Etymology
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
Explanation
If you're the victim of an abduction, you've been carried away against your will — kidnapped. The word comes from Latin ab "away" + ducere "lead." Abduction is also when you move your arm or leg away from your midline. "The Abduction from the Seraglio" is the English title of a famous Mozart opera, in which a nobleman tries to rescue his betrothed, who has been captured — abducted — by pirates and sold into a pasha's harem, or seraglio. At the end of the opera, the pasha is overwhelmed with mercy and frees everyone and sends them home. So there really isn’t an abduction from the seraglio; the pasha lets everybody go.
Vocabulary lists containing abduction
Lead the Way: Duc and Duct
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Freak the Mighty
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Strike A Pose: Positions and Posture
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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.
Josh Baker enters a dangerous world of fear, greed and betrayal as he uncovers what happened in one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time - the abduction of Austin Tice.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
For years, many assumed they had stumbled upon a government checkpoint, and that the abduction of the journalist had been opportunistic.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s abduction is a tragic tale of bad luck and bad calls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
It said they identified those behind the abduction and dismantled their support network, including informants and hideouts in the Old Oyo National Park forest.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He quickly found the more arcane sites: alien abduction, UFO sightings, and the supernatural.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
