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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Abolish \A*bol"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Abolished}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Abolishing}.] [F. abolir, L. abolere, aboletum; ab
olere to grow. Cf. {Finish}.]
1. To do away with wholly; to annul; to make void; -- said of
laws, customs, institutions, governments, etc.; as, to
abolish slavery, to abolish folly.
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2. To put an end to, or destroy, as a physical objects; to
wipe out. [Archaic]
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And with thy blood abolish so reproachful blot.
--Spenser.
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His quick instinctive hand
Caught at the hilt, as to abolish him. --Tennyson.
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Syn: To {Abolish}, {Repeal}, {Abrogate}, {Revoke}, {Annul},
{Nullify}, {Cancel}.

Usage: These words have in common the idea of setting aside
by some overruling act. Abolish applies particularly
to things of a permanent nature, such as institutions,
usages, customs, etc.; as, to abolish monopolies,
serfdom, slavery. Repeal describes the act by which
the legislature of a state sets aside a law which it
had previously enacted. Abrogate was originally
applied to the repeal of a law by the Roman people;
and hence, when the power of making laws was usurped
by the emperors, the term was applied to their act of
setting aside the laws. Thus it came to express that
act by which a sovereign or an executive government
sets aside laws, ordinances, regulations, treaties,
conventions, etc. Revoke denotes the act of recalling
some previous grant which conferred, privilege, etc.;
as, to revoke a decree, to revoke a power of attorney,
a promise, etc. Thus, also, we speak of the revocation
of the Edict of Nantes. Annul is used in a more
general sense, denoting simply to make void; as, to
annul a contract, to annul an agreement. Nullify is an
old word revived in this country, and applied to the
setting of things aside either by force or by total
disregard; as, to nullify an act of Congress. Cancel
is to strike out or annul, by a deliberate exercise of
power, something which has operative force.
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