Word
abolish
Meanings
To officially end a law, system, or practice so it no longer exists.
To completely get rid of something undesirable in an organization or procedure.
Definition
To abolish something means to officially end it so it no longer exists or is allowed.
To abolish is to formally put an end to a law, system, practice, or institution. It is usually done by a government or other authority through an official decision or legal change. After something is abolished, it is no longer valid or permitted. The word often appears in discussions about policy reform and social change.
Examples
- The parliament voted to abolish the outdated regulation after months of public consultation.
- I support efforts to abolish policies that discriminate, provided the replacement is carefully designed.
- They plan to abolish the committee and fold its responsibilities into a single department.
- The university decided to abolish the strict dress code because it no longer reflected campus life.
Common mistake
Learners often use "abolish" for physical objects (e.g., "abolish a building") instead of using "demolish" or "remove".
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.