Abolish is a verb meaning to formally put an end to a system, practice, or institution. It implies official repeal or elimination, often by law or regulation. The term is commonly used in political, legal, or organizational contexts to indicate that something will no longer be in effect or applicable.
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- US: /əˈbɑlɪʃ/ is a common American variant; many speakers use an open back unrounded /ɑ/ or slightly lax /ɒ/. Maintain rhoticity; the /ɹ/ sound is not present here but the vowel quality for /ɒ/ matters. - UK: /əˈbɒlɪʃ/ with a clipped, short /ɒ/ and a crisp /l/; non-rhotic tendency means the final consonant may be watched, but /ʃ/ remains. - AU: similar to UK but with broader vowel quality and a slightly more relaxed final /ɪʃ/. IPA: US əˈbɒlɪʃ, UK əˈbɒlɪʃ, AU əˈbɒlɪʃ. - General tip: keep lips rounded for /ɒ/ and avoid tensing the jaw; practice with minimal pairs to sharpen /ɒ/ versus /ɑ/ contrasts.
"The government voted to abolish the outdated tax loopholes."
"Activists demand that the rule be abolished and replaced with fair standards."
"The school board decided to abolish the mandatory uniform policy."
"Efforts to abolish the practice were met with strong opposition from the community."
Abolish derives from the Old French abolir, which itself comes from the Latin abolēre, composed of ab- (away) and lībere (to loosen, release). The evolution traces from medieval legal and ecclesiastical contexts in which authorities repealed or nullified laws, practices, or penalties. The English adoption appears in the 16th–17th centuries as a formal term in law and governance, reflecting the act of nullifying statutes or customs. The prefix ab- indicates removal or separation, while the root -līre or -līśe (from Latin lībēre, later lēre via abolēre) conveys loosening or erasure. Over time, abolish broadened beyond legal acts to describe ending traditions, norms, or institutions, carrying the nuance that the target is not merely changed but ended. First known printed uses align with legal statutes and ecclesiastical reform language, with the sense of “to do away with.” In modern usage, abolish retains a formal, sometimes activist connotation, signaling a decisive, authorized cessation. The word’s history thus mirrors shifts in governance and moral reform, moving from rigidly codified acts to broader social and political discourses about what should cease to exist.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "abolish" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "abolish" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "abolish"
-ish sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as ə-BOL-ish with secondary stress on the second syllable; primary stress on BOL. IPA US/UK/AU: əˈbɒlɪʃ. Start with a schwa, open-mid back vowel, then a stressed short o sound /ɒ/ (as in 'lot'), followed by /l/ and a short /ɪ/ and final /ʃ/. Mouth positions: relaxed initial, then rounded lower lip for /ɒ/, tip of tongue to alveolar ridge for /l/, quick relaxed /ɪ/, and a postalveolar fricative /ʃ/ at the end.
Two main mistakes: treating the second syllable as unstressed without a clear /ɒ/ vowel sounds like /æ/ or /ɑː/; and softening the final /ʃ/ into /s/. Correction: ensure /ɒ/ is a rounded, short back vowel with proper lip rounding, and maintain /ʃ/ as a clear voiceless palato-alveolar fricative. Practice with slow syllables: ə-ˈbɒ-lɪʃ, then speed up.
In US English, the second syllable carries primary stress with /ɒ/ as in 'lot'. UK/Australian accents share /ɒ/ but may show a slightly shorter /ɒ/ and crisper /ʃ/. Rhoticity doesn't affect /ɒ/ much; the ending /ʃ/ remains consistent. A subtle difference is vowel length and quality, with US often having more rounded lip posture in /ɒ/. IPA references: US əˈbɒlɪʃ, UK əˈbɒlɪʃ, AU əˈbɒlɪʃ.
The diphthong not present here but the combination /ɒl/ followed by /l/ can be tricky for learners who anticipate a long /ɑː/ or forget the short, rounded /ɒ/. Also, the cluster 'bl' with a light /l/ in the middle can be difficult for non-native speakers who might insert an extra syllable or misplace the stress. Focus on keeping /ɒ/ compact and the /l/ clearly articulated before /ɪ//ʃ/.
The word contains a soft consonant sequence with 'bl' following the stressed vowel. There are no silent letters; every letter contributes to the pronunciation. The stress falls on the second syllable, which is not always intuitive for learners who expect the form to start with stress on the first syllable due to the prefix 'a-'. The key is recognizing the root stresses that follow the prefix to deliver the word accurately.
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