abolition

[ab-uh-lish-uhn]

noun

1. the act of abolishing or the state of being abolished: the abolition of capital punishment;

   the abolition of war;

   the abolition of capital punishment;

   the abolition of unfair taxes.

   Synonyms: repeal, revocation, invalidation, nullification, elimination, eradication, annihilation
   Antonyms: establishment

2. the legal prohibition of slavery, especially the institutional enslavement of Black people in the U.S.

abolition

/ ˌæbəˈlɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of abolishing or the state of being abolished; annulment

2. (often capital) (in British territories) the ending of the slave trade (1807) or the ending of slavery (1833): accomplished after a long campaign led by William Wilberforce

3. (often capital) (in the US) the emancipation of the slaves, accomplished by the Emancipation Proclamation issued in 1863 and ratified in 1865

Other Word Forms

• abolitionary adjective
• nonabolition noun
• proabolition adjective
• abolitionist noun
• abolitionism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolition¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin abolitiōn- (stem of abolitiō ), equivalent to abolit(us) “effaced, destroyed,” past participle of abolēre “to destroy, efface” + -iōn- noun suffix; abolish, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of abolition¹

C16: from Latin abolitio, from abolēre to destroy

Example Sentences

She will add: "Just as the last Labour government, with its new deal for young people, abolished long-term youth unemployment I can commit this government to nothing less than the abolition of long-term youth unemployment."

From BBC

In conversation with Severson, Deen says the abolition of slavery was a “terrific change” but goes on to justify the system.

From Salon

Raising the bar for guilty verdicts is intended to allay the concerns of some defence lawyers who fear the the abolition of the not proven verdict could increase the risk of wrongful convictions.

From BBC

Four of the five justices found Bolsonaro guilty on five counts, including attempting to stage a coup, being part of an armed criminal organization and attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.

From Salon

He advocated for the abolition of slavery, but like many of the Founding Fathers, he also benefited from the institution and even bought and sold slaves for his in-laws.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abolishment www.thesaurus.com
• abrogation 
• annulment 
• cancellation 
• destruction 
• dissolution 
• elimination 
• eradication 
• nullification 
• overthrow 
• repeal 
• revocation 
• termination 
• withdrawal