abolish

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verb abol·ish \ ə-ˈbä-lish \

Definition of abolish

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

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abolishable

play \-li-shə-bəl\ adjective

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abolisher

noun

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abolishment

play \-mənt\ noun

See abolish defined for English-language learners

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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 of abolish from the Web

The City Council will also vote in September on abolishing the certificates from city use at all.

— paige gross, The Seattle Times, "Seattle’s effort to end lower pay for disabled workers: Would it help or hurt them?," 25 Aug. 2017
The program was for a second time abolished in 1983 due to financial concerns after losing 31 consecutive games and fielding just 30 players on a consistent basis.

— kyle williams, The Courier-Journal, "Scottsburg football's season-opening win a long time coming for program, community," 25 Aug. 2017
But how did this happen, especially when other countries began abolishing slavery early in the 19th century?

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "The 1850s Response to the Racism of 2017," 16 Aug. 2017
The assembly then gave Chavez power to enact some of his most controversial policies, including abolishing term limits, land redistribution and nationalizing large swaths of the oil industry.

— noris soto, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuela Opposition Joins Elections Despite Crackdown," 9 Aug. 2017
The lower chamber is also considering more than a dozen other property tax proposals, including one that would abolish school property taxes altogether.

— star-telegram, "Here’s where the Texas Legislature is on Abbott’s special session issues," 7 Aug. 2017
This is about so much more than just a military ban when Trump is also promising to expand prisons across the country, end Title IX protections for transgender students, and abolish anti-discrimination measures against LGBTQ people.

— eli erlick, Teen Vogue, "Caitlyn Jenner Wears a MAGA Hat After Criticizing Trump's Transgender Military Ban," 4 Aug. 2017
Dr. Ashish Jha, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said the fight over abolishing the Affordable Care Act has drowned out talk about how to make the health care system more effective.

— jordan rau, Kaiser Health News, "Under Trump, Hospitals Face Same Penalties Embraced By Obama," 3 Aug. 2017
The show, called Confederate, will depict a USA in which slavery was not abolished and continues to be legal in the modern day.

— tyler coates, Esquire, "The Game of Thrones Creators' Next Project Asks: What if the South Won the War?," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abolish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of abolish

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 ¹old

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First Known Use: 15th century

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abolish Synonyms

ABOLISH Defined for Kids

abolish

play

verb abol·ish \ ə-ˈbä-lish \

Definition of abolish for Students

abolished; abolishing

:to do away with :put an end to

abolish discrimination

Law Dictionary

abolish

transitive verb abol·ish

legal Definition of abolish

:to end the observance or effect of :annul

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See words that rhyme with abolish Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for abolish Spanish Central: Translation of abolish Nglish: Translation of abolish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of abolish for Arabic speakers

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abolish

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