Dictionary

abdication en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌæb.dəˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /ˌæb.dəˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

First attested in 1552. From Latin abdicātiō (“renunciation”), from abdicō. By surface analysis, abdicate + -ion.

Meanings

1. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The act of disowning or disinheriting a child.
2. (countable, uncountable) The act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder.
3. (countable, uncountable) The voluntary renunciation of sovereign power.
   • abdication of the throne, government, power, authority
   • the king’s abdication
   • So yes: the abdication was when the Windsors opened the gate. After that it was – and will be – whack-a-mole. Every crisis will draw significant numbers of people out who would ask why you couldn’t cut off whoever was displeasing them in that moment. 2025 October 31, Marina Hyde, “Now Andrew has been fired from the Firm, a nation wonders: who’ll be next?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The renunciation of interest in a property or a legal claim; abandonment.
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The action of being deposed from the seat of power.

Forms

Deriveds

abdicational · nonabdication

Translations (47)

ro abdicare (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nn abdikasjon (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ga tabhairt suas (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ru абдика́ция (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ia abdication (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · bg абдика́ция (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · pt abdicação (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · wym odaonka (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · da abdikation (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nb abdikasjon (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nb tronfrasigelse (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nl (troons)afstand (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · gl abdicación (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · oc abdicacion (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nl abdicatie (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nn fråseiing (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · el παραίτηση (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ru отрече́ние (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ms turun takhta (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ja 退位 (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ms abdikasi (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · es abdicación (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · fi abdikaatio (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · sh abdikácija (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · mi whakatakanga (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · cmn 退位 (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · pl abdykacja (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · la abdicātiō (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · nb frasigelse (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · sv abdikation (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · cs abdikace (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · sv tronavsägelse (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · de Abdankung (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · it abdicazione (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ca abdicació (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · id turun takhta (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · dz སྐུ་དབང་བློས་བཏང (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · sv avgång (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · da abdicering (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ast abdicación (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · vi thoái vị (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · sh абдика́ција (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ms ابديکاسي (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ms abdikasi (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · ko 퇴위 (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · id abdikasi (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder) · fr abdication (the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder)