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
Synonyms
Examples of abolition in a Sentence
the abolition of a law
calls for the abolition of the death penalty
Recent Examples on the Web
The abolition of hanging has just arrived in 1965 England, a devastating blow to Harry (Will Springhorn Jr.) who has built a career sending mortals to the bottom.
—
David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
While the debate over precincts and vote centers has been rolling all legislative session, the abolition of early voting is new.
—Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
Why did Booth kill Lincoln? Booth, who, not coincidentally, was a Shakespearean actor, was also a fervent Confederate sympathizer who was outraged by the abolition of slavery.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024
Democrats, too, have sought abolition, rollbacks and significant reforms of, for example, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the National Security Agency.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Black ministers spoke out against slavery and championed abolition during the slave era.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024
His platform touted the abolition of slavery, unfettered religious freedom, and a new national bank.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024
After the Civil War, the abolition of slavery caused those in the U.S. to take a fresh look at workers’ rights.
—Russ Bynum, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
Her longevity as an evangelist and activist—with four decades of work for Christianity, abolition, suffrage and Black freedom movements—transcends the soundbite from the Akron convention.
—Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
While the debate over precincts and vote centers has been rolling all legislative session, the abolition of early voting is new.
—Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
Why did Booth kill Lincoln? Booth, who, not coincidentally, was a Shakespearean actor, was also a fervent Confederate sympathizer who was outraged by the abolition of slavery.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024
Democrats, too, have sought abolition, rollbacks and significant reforms of, for example, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the National Security Agency.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Black ministers spoke out against slavery and championed abolition during the slave era.
—Char Adams, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024
His platform touted the abolition of slavery, unfettered religious freedom, and a new national bank.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 20 Jan. 2024
After the Civil War, the abolition of slavery caused those in the U.S. to take a fresh look at workers’ rights.
—Russ Bynum, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024
Her longevity as an evangelist and activist—with four decades of work for Christianity, abolition, suffrage and Black freedom movements—transcends the soundbite from the Akron convention.
—Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abolition.' 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 abolition
Cite this Entry
“Abolition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolition. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abolition
noun
ab·o·li·tion
ˌab-ə-ˈlish-ən
1
: the act of abolishing : the state of being abolished
2
: the abolishing of slavery
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