verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:ə-bŏl'ĭsh
Received-Pronunciation:/əˈbɒl.ɪʃ/
General-American:/əˈbɑl.ɪʃ/
General-American:/əˈbɑl.əʃ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH0 B AA1 L IH0 SH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To end a law, system, institution, custom or practice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abrogate, annul, cancel, dissolve, nullify, repeal, revoke, do away with
Antonyms: establish, found
2
verb
Meaning 2
To put an end to or destroy, as a physical object; to wipe out.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
do away with
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Slavery was abolished in the mid-19th century in America and in Russia
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: get rid of
Antonyms: establish
Narrower terms: cashier, abrogate
History
Etymology
From late Middle English abolisshen, from Middle French aboliss-, extended stem of abolir, from Latin abolēre (“to retard, check the growth of, (and by extension) destroy, abolish”), and inchoative abolēscere (“to wither, vanish, cease”).
Across languages
Translations
114 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
afskaf
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Arabic:
أَبْطَلَ
(ʔabṭala)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Arabic:
أَلْغَى
(ʔalḡā)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Arabic:
يبطل
(yebṭel)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Arabic:
يلغي
(yelği)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Asturian:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Basque:
abolitu
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Belarusian:
касава́ць
(kasavácʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Belarusian:
скасава́ць
(skasavácʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Bulgarian:
према́хвам
(premáhvam)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Bulgarian:
отменям
(otmenjam)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Catalan:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Catalan:
suprimir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Chinese Mandarin:
取消
(qǔxiāo)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Chinese Mandarin:
廢除 /废除
(fèichú)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Chinese Mandarin:
廢止 /废止
(fèizhǐ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Czech:
zrušit
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Danish:
afskaffe
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Dutch:
afschaffen
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Dutch:
opheffen
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Esperanto:
abolicii
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Esperanto:
forigi
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Esperanto:
aboli
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Estonian:
tühistama
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Estonian:
kaotama
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Finnish:
lakkauttaa
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Finnish:
lopettaa
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
French:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
French:
supprimer
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Galician:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Georgian:
გაუქმება
(gaukmeba)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Georgian:
გაბათილება
(gabatileba)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
German:
abschaffen
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
German:
aufheben
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Greek:
καταργώ
(katargó)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Greek:
καταλύω
(katalýo)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Ancient Greek:
ἀναιρέω
(anairéō)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Haitian Creole:
aboli
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Hebrew:
ביטל
(bitél)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Hungarian:
eltöröl
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Interlingua:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Italian:
abolire
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Japanese:
止める
(yameru)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Japanese:
無くす
(nakusu)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Japanese:
廃止する
(haishi suru)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Japanese:
打破する
(daha suru)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Lao:
ລົບລ້າງ
(lop lāng)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Latin:
aboleō
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Latin:
interimō
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Macedonian:
укине
(ukine)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Māori:
whakahorohoro
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Māori:
whakakāhore
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Norwegian Bokmål:
abolere
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Norwegian Bokmål:
avskaffe
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Norwegian Bokmål:
fjerne
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Polish:
znosić
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Polish:
znieść
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Polish:
obalać
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Polish:
obalić
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Portuguese:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Portuguese:
suprimir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Romanian:
aboli
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Russian:
отменя́ть
(otmenjátʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Russian:
отмени́ть
(otmenítʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Russian:
упраздня́ть
(uprazdnjátʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Russian:
упраздни́ть
(uprazdnítʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Russian:
аннули́ровать
(annulírovatʹ)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Serbo-Croatian:
ukidati
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Slovak:
zrušiť
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Spanish:
abolir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Spanish:
suprimir
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Spanish:
abrogar
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Spanish:
quitar
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Swedish:
avskaffa
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Swedish:
överge
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Swedish:
förkasta
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Tamil:
ஒழி
(oḻi)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Thai:
เลิก
(lə̂ək)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Thai:
ยกเลิก
(yók-lə̂ək)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Thai:
ยุบเลิก
(yoob-lêrk)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Ottoman Turkish:
بوزمق
(bozmak)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Ukrainian:
касува́ти
(kasuváty)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Ukrainian:
скасува́ти
(skasuváty)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Volapük:
säkibön
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Volapük:
finidön
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Welsh:
diddymu
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Woiwurrung:
meleemak
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Yiddish:
בטל מאַכן
(botl makhn)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Yiddish:
אָפּשאַפֿן
(ópshafn)
— to end a law, system, institution, custom or practice
Arabic:
دَمَر
(damar)
— to destroy
Arabic:
دمر
(damar)
— to destroy
Bulgarian:
унищожа́вам
(uništožávam)
— to destroy
Dutch:
vernietigen
— to destroy
Dutch:
buiten werking stellen
— to destroy
French:
détruire
— to destroy
German:
vernichten
— to destroy
Hebrew:
הרס
(harás)
— to destroy
Japanese:
打破する
(daha suru)
— to destroy
Latin:
interimō
— to destroy
Latin:
aboleō
— to destroy
Norwegian Bokmål:
destruere
— to destroy
Norwegian Bokmål:
tilintetgjøre
— to destroy
Norwegian Bokmål:
ødelegge
— to destroy
Portuguese:
destroçar
— to destroy
Portuguese:
arrasar
— to destroy
Portuguese:
acabar com
— to destroy
Romanian:
distruge
— to destroy
Russian:
уничтожа́ть
(uničtožátʹ)
— to destroy
Russian:
уничто́жить
(uničtóžitʹ)
— to destroy
Russian:
ликвиди́ровать
(likvidírovatʹ)
— to destroy
