ENGLISH
REFERENCE

abrogate

v.
US //ˈæbɹəˌɡeɪt// ab·ro·gate Archaic

v. to end a law, agreement, or formal right so it is no longer valid. This is a very formal way to say something is officially cancelled or repealed.

v. to repeal or formally abolish a law, right, or agreement. A transitive verb used in formal legal or political discourse.


SIMPLE

The government can abrogate old treaties.

CONTEXTUAL

Parliament must vote to abrogate any law that is found to be unconstitutional.

COMPLEX

The court's controversial ruling effectively abrogated the community's long-held customary rights, which had existed for centuries but were never formally codified.

Origin

First attested in 1526, from Middle English abrogat (“abolished”), from Latin abrogātus, perfect passive participle of abrogō (“repeal”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ab (“away”) + rogō (“ask, inquire, propose”). See rogation.

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