different between abolition vs abolitionist

English

Etymology

First attested in 1529. Either from Middle French abolition, or directly from Latin aboliti?, from abole? (“destroy”). Compare French abolition. Equivalent to abolish +? -tion.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?æb.??l??.n?/

Noun

abolition (plural abolitions)

1. The act of abolishing; an annulling; abrogation [First attested around the early 16^th century.]

2. The state of being abolished
3. (historical, often capitalised, Britain, US) The ending of the slave trade or of slavery. [First attested around the early 18^th century.]
4. (historical, often capitalised, Australia) The ending of convict transportation. [First attested around the late 18^th century.]
5. (obsolete) An amnesty; a putting out of memory. [Attested from the early 17^th century to the early 19^th century.]

Usage notes

The sense "amnesty", and in general any reference to "abolition of" a person, is now obsolete or unusual.

Antonyms

• (act of abolishing): establishment, foundation

Derived terms

• abolitionism
• abolitionist

Translations

References

• abolition in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

French

Etymology

From Latin abolitionem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.b?.li.sj??/

Noun

abolition f (plural abolitions)

1. abolition

Derived terms

• abolitionnisme
• abolitionniste

Related terms

• abolir

Further reading

• “abolition” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

First attested in 1788. abolition +? -ist.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æ.b?.?l??.n?.?st/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?æ.b?.?l??.n?.?st/, /?æ.b?.?l??.n?.?st/

Adjective

abolitionist (comparative more abolitionist, superlative most abolitionist)

1. (historical) In favor of the abolition of slavery. [since the late 18^th century]

Noun

abolitionist (plural abolitionists)

1. A person who favors the abolition of any particular institution or practice. [since the late 18^th century]
   • 2005, Julia O'Connell Davidson, Children in the Global Sex Trade, Polity (?ISBN), page 107:

     Both feminist and religiously inspired abolitionists have long viewed, and continue to view, male demand for commercial sex as a root cause of prostitution.

   • 2007, J. Robert Lilly, Francis T. Cullen, Richard A. Ball, Criminological Theory: Context and Consequences, SAGE (?ISBN), page 198:

     Furthermore, abolitionists argue that prisons are a form of violence and should be destroyed because they reflect “a social ethos of violence and degradation" [...] Abolitionists argue that prisons should be replaced, or at least decentralized, by democratic community control and community-based treatment that would emphasize "redress" or "restorative justice."

2. (historical, US) A person who favored or advocated the abolition of slavery. [since the late 18^th century]

Descendants

• Norwegian Bokmål: abolisjonist

Translations

References

• abolitionist in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.