abolitionist
1 synonym for abolitionist, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person who campaigns to abolish something, historically and most often the slave trade and slavery.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
emancipationist
How to use abolitionist
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
the abolitionist movement
prison abolitionist
Etymology
From "abolition," from Latin "abolere" (to destroy or do away with), plus "-ist".
Full origin of abolitionist →Frequently asked questions
What is an abolitionist?
Someone campaigning to end a practice or institution. Historically it refers to campaigners against the slave trade and slavery; today it is also used of movements to abolish prisons, the police or capital punishment.
What did abolitionists believe?
That slavery was a moral wrong that had to be ended outright rather than reformed or phased out gradually — a position that divided them from those who favoured gradual emancipation.
