abolitionism
noun
ab·o·li·tion·ism
ˌa-bə-ˈli-shə-ˌni-zəm 
: principles or measures promoting the abolition especially of slavery
among the New Englanders committed to abolitionism
Examples of abolitionism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bates College, renamed in honor of its industrialist patron, was an early hotbed of abolitionism and one of the first schools to allow women and African Americans to study alongside white men.
—
Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2023
There is extensive instruction on the history and economics of the development of slavery, as well as abolitionism, slave revolts, and the Underground Railroad.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 July 2023
Hirshman’s book is a lively depiction of the antislavery movement, in which the three charismatic characters at the heart of her story provide an engaging avenue into the competing philosophies and strategies that continually challenged abolitionism’s unity and effectiveness.
—Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2022
Of more than 37,000 city properties with landmark protection, just 17 sitesare related to abolitionism or the Underground Railroad, the network of Black and white activists who helped enslaved African-Americans flee north to freedom before the Civil War.
—New York Times, 8 Jan. 2021
More broadly, the erasure of the real Thaddeus Stevens epitomized a generations-long effort to denigrate abolitionism and thwart the transformation in American race relations that had begun with the postwar amendments guaranteeing equal protection under the law and voting rights.
—Fergus M. Bordewich, WSJ, 5 Mar. 2021
Collectively, the contents illustrate the transatlantic nature of slavery and abolitionism, the significance of Black mobility (forced and voluntary) to American literature and history, the centrality of women and children, and savvy strategies of Black resistance.
—Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2021
From the codified curricula of the trivium and quadrivium to the rigors of philosophy and philosophical expression to Beethoven, Dave Brubeck, and Miles Davis to the rule of law, democracy, the city, abolitionism, and property rights, the legacy of the classical world never ceases to amaze.
—Andre M. Archie, National Review, 27 Feb. 2021
Like the Garrisonians and evangelical revivalists who raised him up in abolitionism, Douglass was initially suspicious, even disdainful, of the political process—the assemblage of institutional compromises that had rationalized and extended American slavery.
—Jabari Asim, The New Republic, 14 Aug. 2020
Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2023
There is extensive instruction on the history and economics of the development of slavery, as well as abolitionism, slave revolts, and the Underground Railroad.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 July 2023
Hirshman’s book is a lively depiction of the antislavery movement, in which the three charismatic characters at the heart of her story provide an engaging avenue into the competing philosophies and strategies that continually challenged abolitionism’s unity and effectiveness.
—Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2022
Of more than 37,000 city properties with landmark protection, just 17 sitesare related to abolitionism or the Underground Railroad, the network of Black and white activists who helped enslaved African-Americans flee north to freedom before the Civil War.
—New York Times, 8 Jan. 2021
More broadly, the erasure of the real Thaddeus Stevens epitomized a generations-long effort to denigrate abolitionism and thwart the transformation in American race relations that had begun with the postwar amendments guaranteeing equal protection under the law and voting rights.
—Fergus M. Bordewich, WSJ, 5 Mar. 2021
Collectively, the contents illustrate the transatlantic nature of slavery and abolitionism, the significance of Black mobility (forced and voluntary) to American literature and history, the centrality of women and children, and savvy strategies of Black resistance.
—Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2021
From the codified curricula of the trivium and quadrivium to the rigors of philosophy and philosophical expression to Beethoven, Dave Brubeck, and Miles Davis to the rule of law, democracy, the city, abolitionism, and property rights, the legacy of the classical world never ceases to amaze.
—Andre M. Archie, National Review, 27 Feb. 2021
Like the Garrisonians and evangelical revivalists who raised him up in abolitionism, Douglass was initially suspicious, even disdainful, of the political process—the assemblage of institutional compromises that had rationalized and extended American slavery.
—Jabari Asim, The New Republic, 14 Aug. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abolitionism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near abolitionism
Cite this Entry
“Abolitionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolitionism. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share