abdication
noun
ab·di·ca·tion
ˌab-di-ˈkā-shən
plural abdications
: an act of abdicating: such as
a
: an act of giving up sovereign power or high office
The desire of King Edward VIII to marry divorced U.S. socialite Wallis Simpson led to the king's abdication in 1936 …—Martha Ross
From the advent of Alexander the Great, in 332 B.C., to the abdication of King Farouk, in 1952, the country was ruled without interruption by non-Egyptians.—Milton Viorst
b
: an act of abandoning or discarding a right, responsibility, etc.
an abdication of authority
The militants took the liberties of Europe as a sign of moral and political abdication.—Fouad Ajami
When the majority throws up its hands because the problems are too tough, that's simply an abdication of responsibility.—Michael S. Serrill
Cite this Entry
“Abdication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdication. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
