What does abolish mean?
Word: Abolish
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Abolish means to end a law, system or custom officially, so that it no longer exists.
Synonyms: end, scrap, eliminate, cancel
Antonyms: introduce, keep
How do you spell abolish?
Syllables: a - bol - ish
Tricky part: The vowel after the b is o, but in quick speech it sounds like a or u, so students write abalish.
Watch out for: abalish, abulish
Memory tip: Think of old rules being abolished: the O of old is the vowel that comes second in abolish.
Abolish in a sentence
Example 1: The school decided to abolish homework on weekends for the junior classes.
Example 2: Many people want to abolish single-use plastic bags in our town.
Example 3: The new rule abolished the late fee at the public library.
Fun Fact
In 1971 the UK moved to decimal money and abolished the shilling, which had been part of its coins for hundreds of years.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word abolish as used in the sentence:
The council voted to abolish the old toll on the river bridge.
a) establish
b) announce
c) review
d) lower
Show answer
a) establish. To establish something is to set it up, the reverse of ending it.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The town council has decided to abollish the noisy evening siren that once marked the end of the market day.
a) siren
b) abollish
c) council
d) market
Show answer
b) abollish. Abolish has a single l before the ish.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Many citizens want the government to hoslabi the old tax on bicycles.
a) publish
b) establish
c) abolish
d) polish
Show answer
c) abolish. Polish and publish need a p, and establish an e and a t, so only abolish uses these seven letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. reform 2. govern 3. protest 4. abbolish
a) to rule a country or its people
b) to change something so that it works better
c) to end a law, system or custom officially
d) to say or show strongly that you disagree
Show answer
c) to end a law, system or custom officially. Abolish has a single b after the a; the double b is the slip.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What could a school abolish?
a) an old shed behind the field
b) a stain on the classroom floor
c) a spelling mistake in an essay
d) an old rule about uniforms
Show answer
d) an old rule about uniforms
2. If a club abolishes its entry fee, members ____.
a) no longer pay it
b) pay it later
c) pay it online
d) pay it twice
Show answer
a) no longer pay it
