abatement

noun

abate·​ment ə-ˈbāt-mənt 

1

: the act or process of reducing or otherwise abating something

abatement of pollution

: the state of being abated

a storm continuing without abatement [=without weakening]

2

: an amount abated

especially : a deduction from the full amount of a tax

… devised tax credits, refunds, and abatements to benefit private corporations …

—William Greider

Synonyms of abatement

• reduction
• deduction

Examples of abatement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her team's work is funded by the state's opioid abatement council. — Aneri Pattani, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026

Residents turned down an advisory referendum asking if fruit trees should be banned as part of the village’s ongoing rodent abatement program. — Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026

Now the world needs more gas than ever, and methane emissions abatement measures, from better pumps to satellite monitoring, have proliferated. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026

That same day, a pollution abatement manager noted in an email to the commission’s general counsel that agency critics of the plan had not been invited. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, from abatre "to abate" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing abatement

• tax abatement

Rhymes for abatement

• overstatement
• reinstatement
• understatement
• affreightment
• misstatement
• restatement
• statement

Kids Definition

abatement

noun

abate·​ment ə-ˈbāt-mənt 

1

: the act or process of abating : the state of being abated

2

: an amount abated (as from a tax)

Legal Definition

abatement

noun

abate·​ment ə-ˈbāt-mənt 

1

: the act or process of abating or the state of being abated

challenged the abatement of her bequest

abatement of a private nuisance by self-help

—W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton

2

: an amount abated : deduction

especially : a deduction from the full amount of a tax