abolitionism

noun

ab·​o·​li·​tion·​ism ˌa-bə-ˈli-shə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce abolitionism (audio)
: 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
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During the 1840s and 1850s, many of the great American social movements, including abolitionism, feminism, and reform-minded Christianity, took root and blossomed in this unlikely soil. Beverly Gage, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026 The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act helped shatter this consensus and brought abolitionism far closer to the mainstream. Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026 The passage of the Fugitive Slave Act helped shatter this consensus and brought abolitionism far closer to the mainstream. Stephen Mihm, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026 An emphasis on hard evidence took firm hold in the wave of abolitionism in the 1830s. Gerry Lanosga, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abolitionism

Word History

Etymology

abolition + -ism

First Known Use

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abolitionism was in 1807

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Cite this Entry

“Abolitionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolitionism. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.

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