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 of abduction

• kidnapping
• rape

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Recent Examples on the Web

Local officials have not held a news conference in over a month, and law enforcement still has not determined a motive in her abduction. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026

Over a month and a half into the Nancy Guthrie investigation, there are a lot of different storylines people are following about the abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mom. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 19 Mar. 2026

The comedy lies in the unwavering sincerity with which every ridiculous twist is treated, from one-night stands with a cuy fighter and multiple fires to violent abductions and a heartbroken lover riding her motorcycle off a cliff. —Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026

Three weeks before Nancy Guthrie's apparent abduction from her home in Tucson, Arizona, a masked man resembling the one suspected of taking her was seen on her front steps, according to multiple law enforcement sources. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026

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.