abolish

verb

abol·​ish ə-ˈbä-lish 

abolished; abolishing; abolishes

transitive verb

: to end the observance or effect of (something, such as a law) : to completely do away with (something) : annul

abolish a law

abolish slavery

abolishable

ə-ˈbä-li-shə-bəl 

adjective

abolisher noun

abolishment

ə-ˈbä-lish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• abate
• abrogate
• annul
• avoid
• cancel
• disannul
• dissolve
• invalidate
• negate
• null
• nullify
• quash
• repeal
• rescind
• roll back
• strike down
• vacate
• void

Examples of abolish in a Sentence

He is in favor of abolishing the death penalty.

the U.S. abolished slavery by constitutional amendment on December 6, 1865

Recent Examples on the Web

Hungary has abolished income tax for mothers under the age of 30. —Angela Saini, WIRED, 29 Dec. 2024

Billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump adviser who is leading an effort to curb bureaucracy, has called for abolishing the agency. —Manya Saini, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024

The newer bill, which Trump and Musk supported, would have funded the government through March 14 and extended the country’s debt limit through to Jan. 30, 2027 (Trump has actually called for abolishing the debt ceiling entirely. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 20 Dec. 2024

Tullock’s famous quip comes to mind as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continues in its ongoing efforts to abolish financial scams that its bureaucrats apparently lack the skills to rid society of on their own. —John Tamny, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abolysshen, borrowed from Middle French aboliss-, stem of abolir "to abolish," borrowed from Latin abolēre "to destroy, efface, put an end to," perhaps formed from abolēscere "to shrivel up, be effaced, fall into disuse," from ab- ab- + -ol-, medial form of the base of alere "to nourish, bring up" + -ēsc-, inchoative suffix — more at old entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

abolish

verb

abol·​ish ə-ˈbäl-ish 

: to do away with completely : put an end to

abolishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

abolisher noun

abolishment

-mənt 

noun

Legal Definition

abolish

transitive verb

abol·​ish

: to end the observance or effect of : annul