abduction

noun

ab·​duc·​tion ab-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce abduction (audio)
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

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Kevin — whose 45th birthday is Saturday — remains missing, a rare unsolved case of an infant abduction by a stranger, one of about a dozen such cases still active across the country, according to Angeline Hartmann, spokesperson for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 June 2025 The Amber Alert system is a child abduction emergency alert protocol used throughout the United States to enlist public assistance in locating missing and endangered children. Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025 Dark doings—abductions, intrigues—fill the Tacoma papers. Caroline Fraser june 10, Literary Hub, 10 June 2025 Israel’s military said Sharia was also involved in the abduction of the Israeli-American couple Gad Haggai and Judi Lynn Weinstein Haggai and the abduction and killing of Thai national Nattapong Pinta. Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for abduction

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of abduction was in 1632

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abduction. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

abduction

noun
ab·​duc·​tion ab-ˈdək-shən, əb- How to pronounce abduction (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on abduction

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