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

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

From abdication to divorce to the shock of Princess Diana’s death nearly 30 years ago, the monarchy has repeatedly confronted upheaval that once seemed capable of bringing it to its knees. —Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026

He was proclaimed King Frederik X following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II. —ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026

Instead of eradicating catcher framing like full abdication to the robots would have, the challenge system adds new layers to the charade of trying to sell strikes. —Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026

Since 1979, total federal debt has exploded from under $1 trillion to over $39 trillion and continues to rise rapidly That’s the direct cost of this abdication. —Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026

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