abrogate

/ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət/

//ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"abrogate" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abrogate” is an uncommon English word, ranked #85,984 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#85,984
frequency rank, English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To annul (as a law, decree, ordinance, etc.) by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or their successor; to repeal.

Key facts for abrogate
PropertyValue
Headwordabrogate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət/
Letters8
Frequency rank#85,984
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abrogate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). abrogate lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for abrogate is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət/. Corpus data places it at rank #85,984 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

abrogate has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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, pro… The correct English form is abrogate, spelled A-B-R-O-G-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To annul (as a law, decree, ordinance, etc.) by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or their successor; to repeal.
  2. 2
    To put an end to; to do away with.
  3. 3
    To block a process or function.

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

abolishannulcountermandinvalidatenullifyoverruleoverturnquashrepealrescindretractreverserevokeset asidesupersedesuspendundovetovoidwaivewithdrawabjureannihilatecanceldissolvedo away withendobliterateobviaterecantsubvertterminatevitiatewipe out

Antonyms

establishfixpromulgate

This word in other languages

abrogar(Español)abschaffen(Deutsch)anular(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abrogate"?
"abrogate" is spelled A-B-R-O-G-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət/.
What does "abrogate" mean?
As a verb, "abrogate" means: To annul (as a law, decree, ordinance, etc.) by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or their successor; to repeal.
How do you pronounce "abrogate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abrogate" is /ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "abrogate"?
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, in... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “abrogate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-R-O-G-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæ.bɹə.ɡət/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list