abdication
noun
ab·di·ca·tion
ˌab-di-ˈkā-shən 
plural abdications
: an act of abdicating: such as
a
: an act of giving up sovereign power or high office
The desire of King Edward VIII to marry divorced U.S. socialite Wallis Simpson led to the king's abdication in 1936 …—
Martha Ross
Martha RossFrom the advent of Alexander the Great, in 332 B.C., to the abdication of King Farouk, in 1952, the country was ruled without interruption by non-Egyptians.—Milton Viorst
Milton Viorst
b
: an act of abandoning or discarding a right, responsibility, etc.
an abdication of authority
The militants took the liberties of Europe as a sign of moral and political abdication.—Fouad Ajami
Fouad AjamiWhen the majority throws up its hands because the problems are too tough, that's simply an abdication of responsibility.—Michael S. Serrill
Michael S. SerrillExamples of abdication in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not since the abdication crisis of 1936 has there been such a public casting aside of a senior British royal.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
As for Farrell, rarely has a pathological abdication of responsibility been so uncannily conveyed; he’s well matched by his The Beguiled co-star, Nicole Kidman, who cuts through the body-snatcher torpor of the material with her growing rage and panic.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, was also known as the Duke of York prior to the surprising abdication of his elder brother, King Edward VIII, in 1936.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
So, even though there’s no talk of abdication or anything of the sort, everyone’s preparing as if Prince William ascending to the throne will happen sooner rather than later.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdication
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Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
As for Farrell, rarely has a pathological abdication of responsibility been so uncannily conveyed; he’s well matched by his The Beguiled co-star, Nicole Kidman, who cuts through the body-snatcher torpor of the material with her growing rage and panic.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, was also known as the Duke of York prior to the surprising abdication of his elder brother, King Edward VIII, in 1936.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
So, even though there’s no talk of abdication or anything of the sort, everyone’s preparing as if Prince William ascending to the throne will happen sooner rather than later.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdication
Cite this Entry
“Abdication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdication. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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