Synonyms

abolitionist

American

[ab-uh-lish-uh-nist] / ˌæb əˈlɪʃ ə nɪst /

noun

(especially prior to the Civil War) a person who advocated or supported the abolition of slavery in the U.S.
a person who favors the abolition of any law or practice deemed harmful to society.

the abolitionists who are opposed to capital punishment.

Other Word Forms

proabolitionist noun

Etymology

Origin of abolitionist

First recorded in 1830–40; abolition + -ist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She was the boon companion of the women’s-rights activist Susan B. Anthony, and she could count among friends and allies the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

From The Wall Street Journal

Amy and Isaac Post were also abolitionists, passionate about ending the practice of slavery.

From Literature

What about critics who say the self-described police abolitionist should work closer with law enforcement to clean up the park, I told her.

From Los Angeles Times

“Nobody reads them anymore, not since that abolitionist Abe Lincoln lost the Senate contest.”

From Literature

Introverted, romantic and intellectual, she read everything from Walter Scott and Jane Austen to abolitionist tracts and records of Senate debates.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023