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

The government has abolished the samurai class, banning swords and forcing most of them into poverty. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025

European finance ministers from the 27 countries that comprise the EU approved an agreement to abolish the exemption on packages valued at less than 150 euros, to be implemented as early as the first quarter of 2026 — two years ahead of schedule. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025

So Congress does not have the power to separately abolish H-1Bs. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

In a comment to the AFP, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure lauded politicians’ agreement on moving forward the effort to abolish de minimis. —Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 13 Nov. 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