abolish

[uh-bol-ish]

verb (used with object)

1. to do away with; put an end to; annul; make void.

   to abolish slavery.

   Synonyms: eliminate, extirpate, exterminate, extinguish, obliterate, annihilate, cancel, nullify, suppress
   Antonyms: establish

abolish

/ əˈbɒlɪʃ /

verb

1. (tr) to do away with (laws, regulations, customs, etc); put an end to

Other Word Forms

• abolishable adjective
• abolisher noun
• abolishment noun
• unabolishable adjective
• unabolished adjective
• well-abolished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolish¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French aboliss-, long stem of abolir, from Latin abolēre “to destroy, efface”

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolish¹

C15: from Old French aboliss- (lengthened stem of abolir ), ultimately from Latin abolēre to destroy

Synonym Study

Abolish, eradicate, stamp out mean to do away completely with something. To abolish is to cause to cease, often by a summary order: to abolish a requirement. Stamp out implies forcibly making an end to something considered undesirable or harmful: to stamp out the opium traffic. Eradicate (literally, to tear out by the roots ), a formal word, suggests extirpation, leaving no vestige or trace: to eradicate all use of child labor.

Example Sentences

Labour had planned to abolish this qualifying period completely, alongside a new legal probation period to be determined after a consultation.

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Rank’s shares—which rallied Wednesday after the U.K. government said it would abolish a bingo duty—dropped 10% on Thursday after the company issued a profit warning.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In my view no British government would ever abolish the BBC.

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One point is explicit but even-handed: "Both countries will agree to abolish all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education."

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Last week the Policing Minister Sarah Jones said the role would be abolished.

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Related Words

• abrogate 
• annul 
• cancel 
• dissolve 
• eradicate 
• nullify 
• overthrow 
• overturn 
• prohibit 
• put an end to 
• repeal 
• rescind 
• revoke 
• set aside 
• stamp out 
• suppress 
• terminate 
• wipe out