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Webster 1913 Edition


Abolition

Ab′o-li′tion

,
Noun.
[L.
abolitio
, fr.
abolere
: cf. F.
abolition
. See
Abolish
.]
The act of abolishing, or the state of being abolished; an annulling; abrogation; utter destruction;
as, the
abolition
of slavery or the slave trade; the
abolition
of laws, decrees, ordinances, customs, taxes, debts, etc.
☞ The application of this word to persons is now unusual or obsolete

Webster 1828 Edition


Abolition

ABOLI'TION

,
Noun.
abolishun. The act of abolishing; or the state of being abolished; an annulling; abrogation; utter destruction; as the abolition of laws, decrees, ordinances, rites, customs, debts, &c.
The application of this word to persons and things, is now unusual or obsolete. To abolish persons, canals and senses, the language of good writers formerly, is no longer legitimate.

Definition 2024


abolition

abolition

English

Noun

abolition (plural abolitions)

  1. The act of abolishing, or the state of being abolished; an annulling; abrogation; utter destruction; as, the abolition of slavery or the slave trade; the abolition of laws, decrees, ordinances, customs, taxes, debts, etc. [First attested around the early 16th century.][2]
  2. (historical, often capitalised, Britain, US) The ending of the slave trade or of slavery. [First attested around the early 18th century.][2]
  3. (historical, often capitalised, Australia) The ending of convict transportation. [First attested around the late 18th century.][2]
  4. (obsolete) An amnesty; a putting out of memory. [Attested from the early 17th century to the early 19th century.][2]

Usage notes

The application of this word to persons is now unusual or obsolete.

Antonyms

Translations

References

  1. Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 3-4
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 6
  • abolition in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

French

Pronunciation

Noun

abolition f (plural abolitions)

  1. abolition.