abdication
noun
ab·di·ca·tion
ˌab-di-ˈkā-shən 
plural abdications
: an act of abdicating: such as
a
: an act of giving up sovereign power or high office
The desire of King Edward VIII to marry divorced U.S. socialite Wallis Simpson led to the king's abdication in 1936, an event that also brought Harry, his father Prince Charles and his brother, Prince William, into the line of succession.—
Martha Ross
Martha RossFrom the advent of Alexander the Great, in 332 B.C., to the abdication of King Farouk, in 1952, the country was ruled without interruption by non-Egyptians.—Milton Viorst
Milton Viorst
b
: an act of abandoning or discarding a right, responsibility, etc.
an abdication of authority
The militants took the liberties of Europe as a sign of moral and political abdication.—Fouad Ajami
Fouad AjamiWhen the majority throws up its hands because the problems are too tough, that's simply an abdication of responsibility.—Michael S. Serrill
Michael S. SerrillExamples of abdication in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Frederik became King upon the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe of Denmark in January 2024, making his Australian wife the new Queen of Denmark.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
But this would all but ensure instability and an abdication of Germany’s international role.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Shah’s abdication led to the 1979 revolution The Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest in Iran over the rule of the shah who, terminally and secretly ill with cancer, fled Iran in January 1979.
—Nasser Karimi, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
Read More: What Leaving the WHO Means for the U.S. and the World
The federal abdication of health should be a wake-up call for state and local governments to redouble and reimagine their commitments.
—Dr. Ashwin Vasan, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdication
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Janine Henni, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
But this would all but ensure instability and an abdication of Germany’s international role.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
Shah’s abdication led to the 1979 revolution The Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest in Iran over the rule of the shah who, terminally and secretly ill with cancer, fled Iran in January 1979.
—Nasser Karimi, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
Read More: What Leaving the WHO Means for the U.S. and the World
The federal abdication of health should be a wake-up call for state and local governments to redouble and reimagine their commitments.
—Dr. Ashwin Vasan, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdication
Cite this Entry
“Abdication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdication. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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