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 of abduction

• kidnapping
• rape

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Recent Examples on the Web

Video retrieved from a doorbell camera showed an armed man in a mask and gloves approaching the property on a couple of occasions prior to the 84-year-old matriarch’s apparent abduction. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026

Xiao reportedly built his fortune in business with Communist Party leaders and is currently in prison following a high-profile abduction by Chinese agents and subsequent disappearance. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 2 Mar. 2026

Witnesses told police that a van, matching the description of the one used in the abduction and found in Franklin, had been spotted on July 25, 1996, in the area of where Morgan's body was found. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

Morgan's body was found three months after her abduction in the woods near a barn in Tennessee. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026

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.