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

• kidnaping
• kidnapping
• rape

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Recent Examples on the Web

There to see Lajo off, Hamida meets her brother for the first time since her own abduction. —JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025

Dearest, about child abduction in rural China; and biographical sports drama Leap. —Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025

Adams County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a parental abduction in the 8600 block of Faraday Street, north of Denver, on Saturday, according to a news release from the agency. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025

There are measures against the energy, military, and financial sectors of Russia, as well as specific targets against those believed to be involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

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.