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

From 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

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

When the majority throws up its hands because the problems are too tough, that's simply an abdication of responsibility.

—Michael S. Serrill

Examples of abdication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Calling the cops is in effect a cop-out, an abdication of universities’ role as clearinghouses of debate and ideas. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2024

However, after his abdication in 2014, there were numerous investigations into Juan Carlos' alleged financial wrongdoings. —Justin Klawans, theweek, 27 Feb. 2024

This abdication of leadership leaves the ball in the court of major developing countries, such as India, Indonesia, and South Africa, to forge a new approach. —Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021

In 1812, the French army suffered half a million casualties in battles that climaxed in December—a rout that led to Napoleon’s abdication and exile in 1914. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 24 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1571, in the meaning defined above