abolish

verb

abol·​ish ə-ˈbä-lish How to pronounce abolish (audio)
abolished; abolishing; abolishes

transitive verb

: to end the observance or effect of (something, such as a law) : to completely do away with (something) : annul
abolish a law
abolish slavery
abolishable adjective
abolisher noun
abolishment noun

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
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.
In 1987, the FCC also abolished the fairness doctrine, which required broadcasters to provide differing viewpoints when covering issues of public importance. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 19 Sep. 2025 Trump’s comment’s appeared to allude to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) fairness doctrine, abolished in 1987 in the Reagan era, which required networks with broadcast licenses to reflect different viewpoints on major issues, The Hill’s Brett Samuels reports. Jared Gans, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025 But in August, Putin signed a decree abolishing two presidential departments Kozak supervised, likely in preparation for his departure, the ISW said. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 The Department of Labor withdrew a plan to establish a minimum wage for workers with disabilities and abolished wage protections for the home-health aides who assist millions of seniors and disabled people. E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for abolish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abolysshen, borrowed from Middle French aboliss-, stem of abolir "to abolish," borrowed from Latin abolēre "to destroy, efface, put an end to," perhaps formed from abolēscere "to shrivel up, be effaced, fall into disuse," from ab- ab- + -ol-, medial form of the base of alere "to nourish, bring up" + -ēsc-, inchoative suffix — more at old entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abolish was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abolish. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

abolish

verb
abol·​ish ə-ˈbäl-ish How to pronounce abolish (audio)
: to do away with completely : put an end to
abolishable adjective
abolisher noun
abolishment noun

Legal Definition

abolish

transitive verb
abol·​ish
: to end the observance or effect of : annul

More from Merriam-Webster on abolish

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