Abolition is the act of formally destroying something through legal means, either by making it illegal, or simply no longer allowing it to exist in any form.

Famous things that have been abolished include:

• Slavery; see also: Abolitionism
• The Soviet Union
• Alcohol; see also: Prohibition
• Numerous monarchies

Things that are topics of debate over their possible abolition include:

• Suffering
• The Death penalty
• Abortion