abolish
verb
abol·ish
ə-ˈbä-lish 
abolished; abolishing; abolishes
: to end the observance or effect of (something, such as a law) : to completely do away with (something) : annul
abolish a law
abolish slavery
Examples of abolish in a Sentence
He is in favor of abolishing the death penalty.
the U.S. abolished slavery by constitutional amendment on December 6, 1865
Recent Examples on the Web
Greer wrote that Anderson should have received the death penalty, a sentence abolished in Wisconsin since the 19th century.
—
Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The Labour government, which has led the U.K. since last year's general elections, has announced plans to abolish the non-dom tax status.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
But our colleague David Aldridge wrote earlier this year in favor of abolishing the draft.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 31 July 2025
My mom’s family immigrated to Pennsylvania, one of the first states to abolish slavery, and Maryland from England and Central Europe beginning in the 17th century.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for abolish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ariela Lopez, jsonline.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The Labour government, which has led the U.K. since last year's general elections, has announced plans to abolish the non-dom tax status.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
But our colleague David Aldridge wrote earlier this year in favor of abolishing the draft.
—Tony Jones, New York Times, 31 July 2025
My mom’s family immigrated to Pennsylvania, one of the first states to abolish slavery, and Maryland from England and Central Europe beginning in the 17th century.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for abolish
Cite this Entry
“Abolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolish. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abolish
verb
abol·ish
ə-ˈbäl-ish
: to do away with completely : put an end to
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share