abolition

noun

ab·​o·​li·​tion ˌa-bə-ˈli-shᵊn 

1

: the act of officially ending or stopping something : the act of abolishing something

abolition of the death penalty

2

: the act of officially ending slavery

a proponent of abolition

abolitionary

ˌa-bə-ˈli-shə-ˌner-ē 

-ˌne-rē

adjective

Synonyms

• abatement
• abolishment
• abrogation
• annulment
• avoidance
• cancellation
• cancelation
• defeasance
• dissolution
• invalidation
• negation
• nullification
• quashing
• repeal
• rescindment
• voiding

Examples of abolition in a Sentence

the abolition of a law

calls for the abolition of the death penalty

Recent Examples on the Web

Lewis was working within the Neoclassical mode, recycling the stylings of ancient Greece for a new era concerned with enforcing the abolition of slavery. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 1 Apr. 2025

But people don't know that Quakers were really instrumental in abolition. —H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025

Don’t forget, Driskell arrives in Nashville in 1966, only two years following passage of the Civil Rights Act and the abolition of Jim Crow segregation. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Opponents were caught unorganized and unprepared for a stunning initial torrent of actions, firings of workers, cancellations of programs and abolition of organizations established by Congress over many decades. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French abolition, borrowed from Latin abolitiōn-, abolitiō, from aboli-, variant stem of abolēre "to abolish" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for abolition

• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition
• deposition

Kids Definition

abolition

noun

ab·​o·​li·​tion ˌab-ə-ˈlish-ən 

1

: the act of officially ending or stopping something : the act of abolishing

2

: the abolishing of slavery

abolitionary

-ˈlish-ə-ˌner-ē 

adjective