Abduction: meaning, definitions and examples

👽
Add to dictionary

abduction

 

[ əbˈdʌkʃ(ə)n ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

criminal law

The action or an instance of forcibly taking someone away against their will.

Synonyms

kidnapping, seizure, snatching

Examples of usage

  • The police are investigating the abduction of a young girl from her school.
  • The family received a ransom demand following the abduction of their son.
Context #2 | Noun

medicine

The movement of a limb or other part away from the midline of the body.

Synonyms

extension, outward movement

Examples of usage

  • The abduction of the arm is necessary for some physical therapy exercises.
  • The doctor assessed the patient's range of motion by testing abduction and adduction.

Translations

Translations of the word "abduction" in other languages:

🇵🇹 abdução

🇮🇳 अपहरण

🇩🇪 Entführung

🇮🇩 penculikan

🇺🇦 викрадення

🇵🇱 porwanie

🇯🇵 誘拐 (ゆうかい)

🇫🇷 enlèvement

🇪🇸 secuestro

🇹🇷 kaçırma

🇰🇷 납치

🇸🇦 اختطاف

🇨🇿 únos

🇸🇰 únos

🇨🇳 绑架 (bǎngjià)

🇸🇮 ugrabitev

🇮🇸 mannrán

🇰🇿 ұрлау

🇬🇪 მოტაცება

🇦🇿 adam oğurluğu

🇲🇽 secuestro

Etymology

The word 'abduction' has Latin origins, coming from the Latin word 'abductio', which means 'leading away'. In English, the term has been used since the late 16th century primarily in legal contexts to refer to the act of kidnapping or forcibly taking someone away. In medical terminology, 'abduction' refers to a specific movement of a limb away from the midline of the body.

See also: abduct, abductees.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #15,713, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.