Etymology Map
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Abolish

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to formally end

Where does the word "abolish" come from? It comes from Latin abolere, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
abolere
Latin · ancient
"to destroy, retire"
possibly from 'ab-' plus 'olere', to grow
2
Stage 2 of 3
abolir
Old French · medieval
"to abolish"
its stem 'aboliss-' gave the English form
3
Stage 3 of 3
abolish
English · 1400s
"to do away with"
the abolition of slavery made the word central in the 1800s
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Read the full story

Abolish’s story begins in Latin: abolere meant “to destroy, retire.” Possibly from 'ab-' plus 'olere', to grow. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as abolir. Its stem 'aboliss-' gave the English form. It reached English by 1400s as abolish. The abolition of slavery made the word central in the 1800s. Today, abolish means to formally end.