abolish

verb

abol·​ish ə-ˈbä-lish 

abolished; abolishing; abolishes

transitive verb

: to end the observance or effect of (something, such as a law) : to completely do away with (something) : annul

abolish a law

abolish slavery

abolishable

ə-ˈbä-li-shə-bəl 

adjective

abolisher noun

abolishment

ə-ˈbä-lish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of abolish

• repeal
• cancel
• overturn

Examples of abolish in a Sentence

He is in favor of abolishing the death penalty.

the U.S. abolished slavery by constitutional amendment on December 6, 1865

Recent Examples on the Web

In a similar move, Dissanayake's government abolished perks provided to former presidents in September in response to popular demand. —ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026

The holiday first made it to the states when French explorers settled in New Orleans, and the celebrations stuck until the Spanish gained control of Louisiana and abolished the carnival. —Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 16 Feb. 2026

Voters overwhelmingly abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in prisons in 2018. —Austen Erblat, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026

The Democratic Socialists of America’s national platform, which Mamdani ran on and believes in, includes calls to decriminalize hard drugs, defund or abolish policing, and dismantle charter schools, despite high demand in communities of color. —Darius Jones, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abolysshen, borrowed from Middle French aboliss-, stem of abolir "to abolish," borrowed from Latin abolēre "to destroy, efface, put an end to," perhaps formed from abolēscere "to shrivel up, be effaced, fall into disuse," from ab- ab- + -ol-, medial form of the base of alere "to nourish, bring up" + -ēsc-, inchoative suffix — more at old entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for abolish

• demolish
• gaulish
• polish
• smallish

Kids Definition

abolish

verb

abol·​ish ə-ˈbäl-ish 

: to do away with completely : put an end to

abolishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

abolisher noun

abolishment

-mənt 

noun

Legal Definition

abolish

transitive verb

abol·​ish

: to end the observance or effect of : annul