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

Amid her mother Nancy Guthrie’s ongoing abduction case, Savannah’s co-hosts and guests were spotted wearing yellow ribbons. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

Yellow seems to be a significant color for Guthrie as the Today anchor has received yellow flowers and her colleagues have worn yellow ribbons in support of her mom Nancy Guthrie’s abduction case. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026

Police are trying to determine if the two knew each other and what prompted the beating and abduction. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

From the voice of the one whose body has become the only frontier left, the yodel becomes a site to abduct the abductee from her own abduction. — Literary Hub, 6 July 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.