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, an event that also brought Harry, his father Prince Charles and his brother, Prince William, into the line of succession.—
Martha Ross
Martha RossFrom 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
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
Fouad AjamiWhen the majority throws up its hands because the problems are too tough, that's simply an abdication of responsibility.—Michael S. Serrill
Michael S. SerrillExamples of abdication in a Sentence
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Related Articles Under Baker’s 17 years of control, there’s been a revolving door of senior leadership, flip-flopping strategies and the abdication of market share as well as some lucrative monetization of retail real estate.
—David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
This led to Russian Czar Alexander's abdication four days later and helped pave the way for women to gain the right to vote in Russia.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
Frederik became King upon the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe of Denmark in January 2024, making his Australian wife the new Queen of Denmark.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
But this would all but ensure instability and an abdication of Germany’s international role.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
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David Moin, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
This led to Russian Czar Alexander's abdication four days later and helped pave the way for women to gain the right to vote in Russia.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
Frederik became King upon the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe of Denmark in January 2024, making his Australian wife the new Queen of Denmark.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
But this would all but ensure instability and an abdication of Germany’s international role.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdication
Cite this Entry
“Abdication.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abdication. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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