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

The use of force is the abdication of reason. —Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025

An exit without an entry is an abdication of your duty as founder. —Ken Polk, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

These actions amount to an abdication of our international leadership and a forfeiture of our global influence. —Jason Carter, Time, 4 Sep. 2025

On the other hand, standing idly by while a kid makes concerning choices can feel like an abdication of parental responsibility. —Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 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