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

The court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine, as well as five other officials. —Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

The false premise that mass deportation would only target those already with an undocumented status has helped grease the wheels for sweeping abductions of individuals and families who have been living peacefully and working hard in communities across the country. —Karen Tumlin, Time, 6 May 2025

His behavior during that period, along with that of many other Church leaders, was the subject of much speculation, particularly with regard to the abduction and torture of two priests, Orlando Yorio and Franz Jalics. —Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

Nova has since been returned to her mother while her father was arrested for numerous charges including child abduction and child endangerment, the DHSPD's report added. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025

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.