abolition
noun
ab·o·li·tion
ˌa-bə-ˈli-shᵊn 
1
: the act of officially ending or stopping something : the act of abolishing something
abolition of the death penalty
2
: the act of officially ending slavery
a proponent of abolition
Synonyms
Examples of abolition in a Sentence
the abolition of a law
calls for the abolition of the death penalty
Recent Examples on the Web
For Richie Reseda, abolition has unfolded in real time through music.
—
Abigail Glasgow, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 Aug. 2023
What if safety is achieved not by violent organs of the state but through their abolition?
—WIRED, 9 Aug. 2023
The decision would serve as the basis for Massachusetts’ abolition of slavery on constitutional grounds, several decades before the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States in 1865.
—Sarah Raza, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2023
Gone with the abolition of divisions would be annual meetings with Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas.
—Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 15 June 2023
So that area has always been a part of the complicated legacy of the abolition movement.
—Kaitlyn Greenidge, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 July 2023
But enslaved people who advocated for abolition and members of native communities trying to recover or retain their sovereignty also saw themselves as patriots, said Nathaniel Sheidley, president and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces in Boston.
—Gary Fields, Margery Beck and Rebecca Boone, Anchorage Daily News, 4 July 2023
While calls for reparations in America date to slavery’s abolition in the 1860s, in 1989 Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced what would become H.R. 40 to study slavery, its effects and appropriate remedies.
—NBC News, 29 June 2023
Protesters display signs calling for the abolition of Section 112 in Bangkok, Jan. 26, 2023.
—Time, 21 July 2023
See More
Abigail Glasgow, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 Aug. 2023
What if safety is achieved not by violent organs of the state but through their abolition?
—WIRED, 9 Aug. 2023
The decision would serve as the basis for Massachusetts’ abolition of slavery on constitutional grounds, several decades before the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States in 1865.
—Sarah Raza, BostonGlobe.com, 8 July 2023
Gone with the abolition of divisions would be annual meetings with Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas.
—Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 15 June 2023
So that area has always been a part of the complicated legacy of the abolition movement.
—Kaitlyn Greenidge, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 July 2023
But enslaved people who advocated for abolition and members of native communities trying to recover or retain their sovereignty also saw themselves as patriots, said Nathaniel Sheidley, president and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces in Boston.
—Gary Fields, Margery Beck and Rebecca Boone, Anchorage Daily News, 4 July 2023
While calls for reparations in America date to slavery’s abolition in the 1860s, in 1989 Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced what would become H.R. 40 to study slavery, its effects and appropriate remedies.
—NBC News, 29 June 2023
Protesters display signs calling for the abolition of Section 112 in Bangkok, Jan. 26, 2023.
—Time, 21 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abolition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near abolition
Cite this Entry
“Abolition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolition. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
abolition
noun
ab·o·li·tion
ˌab-ə-ˈlish-ən
1
: the act of abolishing : the state of being abolished
2
: the abolishing of slavery
More from Merriam-Webster on abolition
Nglish: Translation of abolition for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of abolition for Arabic Speakers
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