abutment
/əˈbʌt.mn̩t/noun
abutment is spelled A-B-U-T-M-E-N-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,894th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, abutment means “The point of junction between two things, in particular a support, that abuts” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of abutment is abutments.
How many letters and syllables are in abutment?
| Letters | 8: A-B-U-T-M-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 62,894th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is abutment?
Abutment appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 62,894th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce abutment?
- UK /əˈbʌt.mn̩t/
- US /əˈbʌt.mn̩t/
Abutment has 3 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-abutment.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of abutment
- abutments plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does abutment mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The point of junction between two things, in particular a support, that abuts.
- 2
The solid portion of a structure that supports the lateral pressure of an arch or vault.
- 3
A construction that supports the ends of a bridge; a structure that anchors the cables on a suspension bridge.
- 4
The part of a valley or canyon wall against which a dam is constructed.
Heavy rains have caused the dam's abutments to seep, raising concern over possible dam failure.
- 5
Something that abuts, or on which something abuts.
- 6
The state of abutting.
- 7
That element that shares a common boundary or surface with its neighbor.
- 8
The tooth that supports a denture or bridge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Abutment in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does abutment come from?
First attested in 1644; engineering sense first attested in 1793. From Old French aboutement. Equivalent to abut + -ment.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).