Abdication Meaning
/ˌæb.dəˈkeɪ.ʃən/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe act of disowning or disinheriting a child.
nounThe act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder.
Sentence Examples
The abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte occurred in 1814.
Abdication is like retirement.
The monarch's abdication was a shock to the nation.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The king's ____ surprised the nation, as he had always loved ruling.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The king's ____ led to a major political crisis in the country.
Word Origin & History
First attested in 1552. From Latin abdicātiō (“renunciation”), from abdicō. By surface analysis, abdicate + -ion.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The king's ____ surprised the nation, as he had always loved ruling.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The king's ____ led to a major political crisis in the country.