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

abolitionary

ˌa-bə-ˈli-shə-ˌner-ē 

-ˌne-rē

adjective

Synonyms

• repeal
• dissolution
• cancelation
• abolishment

Examples of abolition in a Sentence

the abolition of a law

calls for the abolition of the death penalty

Recent Examples on the Web

In the aftermath of abolition/compensation, forgetting or disavowing the centuries of slavery became the primary take. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2025

For starters, many early independence movements in Latin America were linked to the abolition of slavery—most notably in Haiti. —Book Marks july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025

Officials also believe the curriculum provides students with an in-depth understanding of the abolition of slavery, highlights the importance of events like Juneteenth and the Civil Rights Movement, and celebrates the contributions of Black Texans. —Jaden Edison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

The abolition of slavery in Latin America didn’t immediately eliminate it in practice, and that first Venezuelan constitution was shortly replaced by another. —Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French abolition, borrowed from Latin abolitiōn-, abolitiō, from aboli-, variant stem of abolēre "to abolish" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for abolition

• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition
• deposition

Kids Definition

abolition

noun

ab·​o·​li·​tion ˌab-ə-ˈlish-ən 

1

: the act of officially ending or stopping something : the act of abolishing

2

: the abolishing of slavery

abolitionary

-ˈlish-ə-ˌner-ē 

adjective