abduction

noun

ab·​duc·​tion ab-ˈdək-shən 

əb-

1

: the action of abducting : the condition of being abducted

2

archaic : the unlawful carrying away of a woman for marriage or sexual intercourse

Synonyms of abduction

• kidnapping
• rape

Examples of abduction in a Sentence

discredited reports of abductions by aliens

Recent Examples on the Web

Zamfara has been a hotspot for armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom, with abductions of students increasing in recent years across the country. —ABC News, 4 June 2026

Her family filed a missing person’s report the morning after her disappearance, but more than 80 hours passed before phones across the province buzzed with a child abduction alert, according to family lawyer Gustavo Vaca. —Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

The allegations led to the high-profile 2005 child abuse case, in which Jackson was indicted on multiple counts of molestation and conspiring to commit extortion, and child abduction. —Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026

What follows is a series of unexpected events that may or may not be connected, including secret government programs, a demonic cult, scandalous affairs, and an alien abduction. —Keith Langston, Space.com, 31 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin abdūctiōn-, abdūctiō "withdrawal, removal, allurement," from Latin abdūcere "to lead away" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at abduct

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for abduction

• adduction
• conduction
• construction
• deduction
• destruction
• eduction
• induction
• instruction
• obstruction
• production
• reduction
• seduction

Legal Definition

abduction

noun

ab·​duc·​tion ab-ˈdək-shən, əb- 

1

a

: the action of abducting

abduction of a robbery victim

b

: the tort or felony of abducting a person

2

: the unlawful carrying away of a wife or female child or ward for the purpose of marriage or sexual intercourse

Note: Sense 2 has its roots in common law. As statutorily defined, mainly in the nineteenth century, abduction was generally stated to include taking away or detention of a woman under a certain age, usually 16 or 18, with or without her consent or knowledge of her age.