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
Late in his career, Hakuho partook in the last tournament of the Heisei era, which ended in 2019 with the abdication of Emperor Akihito.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The abdication set the monarchy on a new course.
—ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
The last time a royal was removed from the line of succession was after the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Arguably, only the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997 have been as grave for the institution of the British monarchy in modern times.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
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Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The abdication set the monarchy on a new course.
—ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
The last time a royal was removed from the line of succession was after the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Arguably, only the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936 and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997 have been as grave for the institution of the British monarchy in modern times.
—Pan Pylas, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abdication
Cite this Entry
“Abdication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdication. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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