abolitionist

[ab-uh-lish-uh-nist]

See more synonyms for abolitionist on Thesaurus.com

noun

(especially prior to the Civil War) a person who advocated or supported the abolition of slavery in the U.S.
a person who favors the abolition of any law or practice deemed harmful to society: the abolitionists who are opposed to capital punishment.

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Origin of abolitionist

First recorded in 1830–40; abolition + -ist

Related formspro·ab·o·li·tion·ist, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for abolitionist

Contemporary Examples

As Brookhiser fully appreciates—he does not equivocate or run from the truth—Lincoln was no radical, no abolitionist.
Lincoln Was the Founders’ Heir Apparent
Harvey J. Kaye
October 22, 2014
That woman, an island hero, Betto Douglas, may have been a relative of the famous American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.
Uncovering the Secrets of St. Kitts
Debra A. Klein
June 21, 2014
Until the 1830s, free blacks were barred from most abolitionist societies.
How Blacks Freed Themselves from Slavery
Eric Herschthal
February 18, 2014
Free black Americans, he insists, played the crucial role of bringing British abolitionist pressure to bear on America.
How Blacks Freed Themselves from Slavery
Eric Herschthal
February 18, 2014
There was scarcely such a thing in 1789 as an "abolitionist."
'Let's Talk About Guns' Live Chat Transcript
David Frum
January 25, 2013

Historical Examples

The abolitionist charges the slave-holder with being a man-stealer.
Slavery Ordained of God
Rev. Fred A. Ross, D.D.
An abolitionist was something to despise, to stone out of the community.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete
Albert Bigelow Paine
Because of her reputation as an abolitionist, she had much resistance to overcome in the South.
Susan B. Anthony
Alma Lutz
I saw her coming out of that abolitionist meeting yesterday.
Pirate Gold
Frederic Jesup Stimson
Some of them he knew, and they took Jamie for an Abolitionist, but Jamie hardly knew what it was all about.
Pirate Gold
Frederic Jesup Stimson

Word Origin and History for abolitionist

n.

1795, from abolition + -ist. In Britain, applied 20c. to advocates of ending capital punishment.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper