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abolish

/əˈbɑlɪʃ/
/əˈbɔlɪʃ/
IPA guide

Other forms: abolished; abolishing; abolishes

To abolish is to get rid of or annul. So when the principal yells at you for the 100th time for not having your shirt tucked in, it's safe to wish they'd just abolish the silly dress code.

The word abolish might stir up some historical connotations, since in the U.S. it's commonly associated with bringing an end to slavery. In fact, those who opposed slavery were called "abolitionists." The word comes to us from the Latin word abolere, meaning "to destroy or cause to die out." These days abolish is used to bring a final and official-sounding end to laws, codes, and unsavory practices.

Definitions of abolish
  1. verb
    do away with
    “Slavery was abolished in the mid-19th century in America and in Russia”
    synonyms: get rid of
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    establish
    set up or found
    types:
    cashier
    discard or do away with
    abrogate
    revoke formally
Pronunciation
US
/əˈbɑlɪʃ/
UK
/əˈbɔlɪʃ/
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