What does abolitionist mean?
An abolitionist is a person who works to abolish something — historically and most famously, slavery. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, abolitionists in Britain and the United States campaigned against the transatlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery itself, through pamphlets, petitions, newspapers, speeches, and sometimes direct action. Figures such as William Wilberforce, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and William Lloyd Garrison became emblematic of the movement, which achieved its aims with British emancipation in 1833 and American emancipation in 1865. Today the word retains this powerful historical association, but it can also describe advocates for ending any entrenched practice or institution, such as capital punishment or prisons. Because of its roots in one of history's great moral campaigns, 'abolitionist' carries connotations of principled activism and moral courage.
nounA person who campaigned to end slavery, especially in the United States and Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries; by extension, a supporter of abolishing any law, institution, or practice.
- A person who advocated the abolition of slavery.
- More broadly, a supporter of abolishing any law, custom, or institution (e.g. an abolitionist seeking to end capital punishment).
"Frederick Douglass was one of the most influential abolitionist voices in nineteenth-century America."
"Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel galvanized abolitionist sentiment across the North."
"As a lifelong abolitionist, she campaigned tirelessly against the death penalty."
Regular plural. Used both for historical figures collectively and for members of modern reform movements.
"The abolitionists faced fierce opposition from proslavery interests."
The word 'abolitionist' was once an insult hurled at radicals — until the radicals won, and history took their side.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abolitionist
'Abolitionist' derives from the verb 'abolish', which entered English from Old French 'aboliss-', the stem of 'abolir', ultimately from Latin 'abolere', meaning to destroy or cause to die away. The noun 'abolition' appeared in English by the early sixteenth century, originally for the annulment of laws or customs, before becoming tied above all to the anti-slavery cause. The agent form 'abolitionist' emerged in the late eighteenth century as organized movements against the slave trade gathered force, alongside the related term 'abolitionism' for the doctrine or movement itself.
How abolitionist is actually used
The word is most strongly associated with the historical movement against slavery in Britain and the United States; when applied to modern causes it usually appears with a modifier such as 'prison abolitionist'. The term carries broadly positive moral connotations today.
Easily confused with abolitionist
An abortionist performs abortions; an abolitionist campaigns for the ending of slavery or of some other practice.