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

• hijacking
• highjacking
• kidnapping
• kidnaping
• rape
• snatch [slang]

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Recent Examples on the Web

DoorDash driver left babies inside car On the night of the abduction, the twins’ mother was working as a DoorDash driver and had gone into the pizza restaurant to pick up an order. —Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 12 June 2024

One of Boko Haram’s most notorious abductions was the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, when nearly 300 students were taken from their school in Chibok, Borno State. —Stephanie Busari, CNN, 10 June 2024

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in most serious abductions the child is harmed or killed within the first three hours. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024

Police infamously mishandled the case, according to previous reporting, and all evidence of the abduction at the Burger Chef was lost when the police allowed the restaurant to re-open the following day. —Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 29 May 2024

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

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.