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 of abolition

• repeal
• dissolution
• abolishment

Examples of abolition in a Sentence

the abolition of a law

calls for the abolition of the death penalty

Recent Examples on the Web

In the past year, their silence broken by the abolition of the police force, residents have started trading stories. —Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026

The mayor has called for the abolition of the federal agency, which has attracted intense scrutiny in recent weeks for fatally shooting two civilians on the streets and the deaths of dozens in their custody. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026

The best-case scenario is not abolition but reform—true, fundamental reform—to turn ICE into a law-enforcement agency that respects the Constitution and laws of America. —Paul Rosenzweig, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026

As philosopher Hannah Arendt observed, authoritarianism does not require the abolition of institutions, only the erosion of their animating principles. —Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026

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