What does abrogating mean?
"Abrogating" is the present participle and gerund of "abrogate," a formal verb meaning to repeal, abolish, or annul a law, treaty, or other binding arrangement. It appears most often in legal, political, and diplomatic writing, where it signals an authoritative act of revocation rather than mere neglect: a government may be described as abrogating a trade agreement, for instance, meaning it has formally set that agreement aside. The word also carries a well-established figurative use — accusing a person or institution of "abrogating its responsibilities" implies it has abandoned duties it was bound to perform, a charge that connotes serious dereliction. Derived from Latin roots meaning "to propose away," the term belongs to a family that includes "arrogate," "interrogate," and "prerogative." Because of its formality and precision, "abrogating" is a valuable word for anyone writing about law, governance, or institutional accountability.
verbPresent participle and gerund of 'abrogate': to repeal or abolish a law, agreement, or formal arrangement, typically by an authority with the power to do so.
- To repeal or abolish a law, treaty, or formal agreement by official authority.
- (Figuratively) To disregard or fail to fulfil a duty or responsibility.
"The parliament was accused of abrogating its responsibilities when it delegated key decisions to the executive."
"The new administration moved quickly toward abrogating the trade agreement signed by its predecessor."
"Critics argued that outsourcing the decision amounted to abrogating the council's duty to protect local heritage."
When a government is accused of 'abrogating' its duties, it's being told it has abandoned them — the same Latin root that once meant formally asking the people's vote now means formally taking it away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abrogating
"Abrogating" derives from the Latin verb abrogare, formed from ab- ("away") plus rogare ("to propose" or "ask"), originally referring to the formal repeal of a law by legislative proposal. English adopted the verb "abrogate" in the early modern period, around the turn of the 17th century, and "abrogating" arose naturally as its participial form. It shares the rogare root with cognates such as "arrogate," "interrogate," "prerogative," and "surrogate."
Related word forms
How abrogating is actually used
Formal register, used chiefly in legal, political, and diplomatic contexts. The figurative sense — abrogating one's responsibilities — carries strong connotations of dereliction of duty.
Easily confused with abrogating
'Arrogate' means to claim or seize something without justification, whereas 'abrogate' means to repeal or abolish a law or agreement.