Meaning & use
abolish
Last updated
Meaning
verbtransitive
To formally end or do away with a law, system, or institution by official action.
Grammar: Takes an object: abolish the tax. It is not used for everyday objects or small personal habits.
Patterns
- abolish something
- abolish the death penalty
- abolish slavery
- be abolished
Parliament voted to abolish the unpopular tax.
The country abolished capital punishment decades ago.
The old licensing system was finally abolished.
Word forms
| third person singular | abolishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | abolished |
| past participle | abolished |
| -ing form | abolishing |
Common combinations
- abolish a law
- The new government promised to abolish the unfair law.
- abolish the death penalty
- Several states decided to abolish the death penalty after long debate.
- vote to abolish
- The council voted to abolish parking fees near the hospital.
- be abolished
- In many workplaces, formal dress codes have been abolished.
Synonyms and how they differ
- eliminate
- Broader and less official; you can eliminate errors or delays, but abolish fits laws and institutions.
- repeal
- Used especially when a legislature removes a law, not a whole social institution.
- annul
- Legal and narrower, often for contracts, marriages, or decisions rather than systems.
- eradicate
- Means remove completely, often diseases or problems; it is stronger and not limited to official systems.
Opposites
Word family
- abolition noun
- The act or principle of abolishing something; more common than abolishment in formal writing.
- abolitionist noun
- A person who campaigns to abolish something, especially historically against slavery.
Commonly confused: abolish or demolish? abolish or destroy?
abolish vs demolish
Demolish means physically destroy a building; abolish ends a rule, system, or institution.
abolish vs destroy
Destroy can mean damage or ruin broadly, while abolish is formal and official.
Practice
The reform aims to ____ the outdated exam rule.
Choose one answer.
After aims to, the sentence needs the base verb abolish. Abolition is a noun, abolished is past or participle, and aboard has an unrelated travel meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abolish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.