abduction

noun

ab·​duc·​tion ab-ˈdək-shən 

əb-

1

: the action of abducting : the condition of being abducted

2

archaic : the unlawful carrying away of a woman for marriage or sexual intercourse

Synonyms

• kidnaping
• kidnapping
• rape

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Recent Examples on the Web

Season three finds former British spy Sylvia Fox, played by Silent Witness star Emilia Fox, mentally and physically recovered from her abduction at the end Season 2 and back to enjoying her life in Italy. —Peter White, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025

The 1993 abduction of former Libyan ambassador turned opposition leader Mansur Rashid Kikhia from a human rights conference at a Cairo hotel, knowledge of and responsibility for which was denied by both the Egyptian and Libyan authorities. —Leila Latif, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025

The artists say that the number of such abductions since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014 range from 20,000 to over a million. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

To successfully retake the area and maintain control, police would need to evacuate the orphanage, whose plans to relocate the children after the abduction had been blocked by threats from the gang. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin abdūctiōn-, abdūctiō "withdrawal, removal, allurement," from Latin abdūcere "to lead away" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at abduct

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for abduction

• adduction
• conduction
• construction
• deduction
• destruction
• eduction
• induction
• instruction
• obstruction
• production
• reduction
• seduction

Legal Definition

abduction

noun

ab·​duc·​tion ab-ˈdək-shən, əb- 

1

a

: the action of abducting

abduction of a robbery victim

b

: the tort or felony of abducting a person

2

: the unlawful carrying away of a wife or female child or ward for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse

Note: Sense 2 has its roots in common law. As statutorily defined, mainly in the nineteenth century, abduction was generally stated to include taking away or detention of a woman under a certain age, usually 16 or 18, with or without her consent or knowledge of her age.