Abdication

/ˌæbdɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The act of renouncing or giving up a throne, title, or position of authority; the formal rejection of responsibility or right.

Etymology

From Latin 'abdicatio', derived from 'abdicare' (to disown or renounce). The suffix '-tion' turns the verb into a noun describing the action itself.

Kelly Says

The word 'abdication' appears strikingly often in European history—so much so that historians argue abdication became a more 'civilized' alternative to violent overthrow, basically creating a vocabulary for peaceful power transitions.

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