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, an event that also brought Harry, his father Prince Charles and his brother, Prince William, into the line of succession.

—Martha Ross

From 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

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

When the majority throws up its hands because the problems are too tough, that's simply an abdication of responsibility.

—Michael S. Serrill

Examples of abdication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among various arguments, such groups complain that such a scheme would likely violate humanitarian and refugee conventions the U.K. is signatory to, and would represent an abdication of the country’s obligations. —Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

The abdication was considerable, and the potential for abuse was great. —James Santel, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025

For Johnson, what an abdication of duty to the taxpayers of this city. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025

History will undoubtedly judge this as a shameful abdication of the military's own values of honor, courage, and commitment to all who serve faithfully. —Anna Commander gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abdication

• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation
• adaptation