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

• abate
• abrogate
• annul
• avoid
• cancel
• disannul
• dissolve
• invalidate
• negate
• null
• nullify
• quash
• repeal
• rescind
• roll back
• strike down
• vacate
• void

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

About 7 of every 10 Republicans wouldn't abolish ICE, while about half of Democrats would. —Jim Sergent, USA Today, 14 June 2025

The Japanese legislature is preparing to abolish this entanglement and simply allow princesses to stay royal regardless of the status of their spouse. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2025

And there are even people in Downing Street who quite envies the idea of taking a Musk-style wrecking ball to parts of the state; Health Secretary Wes Streeting recently abolished one of the main administrative levels of the National Health Service in an overnight raid. —Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025

UnitedHealthcare became a symbol of the health insurance industry that Mangione aimed to abolish, prosecutors said. —Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 5 June 2025

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