abolish

verb

abol·​ish ə-ˈbä-lish How to pronounce abolish (audio)
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 adjective
abolisher noun
abolishment noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But abolishing a property tax would fully freeze younger and lower-income folks out of the housing market because, in part, higher property taxes often lead to lower home prices, which reduces the down payment required for a homebuyer seeking a mortgage. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025 One way not to do that—to take yet another example from this Administration—would be to end the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, which started during President Barack Obama’s second term and came to a close in March, when the U.S.D.A. abolished it. Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2025 Drew must then fight to abolish the tyranny of the Lionlords and reclaim the throne from King Leopold and Prince Lucas, who are voiced by Ralph Ineson and Tom Rhys Harries. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2025 According to The Arizona Republic, there have been discussions about abolishing the semiannual time changes, and President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and others support it. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abolish

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of abolish was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolish. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

abolish

verb
abol·​ish ə-ˈbäl-ish How to pronounce abolish (audio)
: to do away with completely : put an end to
abolishable adjective
abolisher noun
abolishment noun

Legal Definition

abolish

transitive verb
abol·​ish
: to end the observance or effect of : annul

More from Merriam-Webster on abolish

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