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.
Lethal injection is the only method of execution after firing squads were abolished in 2011. Reuters, NBC news, 26 June 2025 Beginning in the 1950s, between 20 million and 25 million households gained ownership of plots of land through the government’s scheme to abolish the colonial-era zamindari system of tax-collecting landlords. Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 Now Congress is threatening these laws, which will leave hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to AI harm by abolishing those state law protections. ArsTechnica, 23 June 2025 Later that year, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 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 1 Jul. 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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