Word
abduct
US/æbˈdəkt/
UK/ɐbdˈʌkt/
Definitions
01to kidnap
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Formal
v. to take someone away by force or by tricking them, often illegally.
v. to carry off a person by force, lead away wrongfully, or seize by illegal means. Transitive; requires a direct object.
“The police believe the child was abducted from the park yesterday afternoon.”
“The suspect was charged with conspiracy to abduct the diplomat, though the defense argued that no physical force had been applied during the incident.”
02to move a limb away
C1 · Advanced Medicine Technical
v. to move a part of your body, like an arm or leg, away from the middle of your body.
v. to move a limb or other body part away from the median axis of the body. Transitive; used primarily in clinical or anatomical descriptions.
“The doctor asked the patient to abduct her arm to check her shoulder.”
“The physical therapist noted that the patient could not fully abduct the left hip without experiencing significant sharp pain in the gluteal region.”
Antonyms
Usage
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object. In its anatomical sense, it is often contrasted with 'adduct'.
Real-World Examples
“After launching a one-day military operation to abduct Maduro and Flores, the Trump administration charged them both with drug- and weapons-related charges.” “On January 3, for instance, the US military launched an operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, transporting him to New York to face trial.” Etymology
From Latin abductus, perfect passive participle of abduco (“to lead away”), from ab (“away”) + duco (“to lead”). * (physiology): Back-formation from abduction.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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