Abrogation Definition and Usage

Professor Gu's English Class

Overview Definition Pronunciation Usage Practice

abrogation

/ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən/
Noun Legal term

Definition: The act of officially repealing or abolishing a law, agreement, or custom

Origin: From Latin abrogatio, from abrogare "to repeal"

📚 Core Meanings

Legal Context

Formal cancellation of a law or agreement

Abrogation of the treaty caused international tension.
The repeal of the treaty caused international tension.
Law

Political Usage

Official annulment of existing regulations

The abrogation of civil rights was controversial.
The abolition of civil rights was controversial.
Politics

General Usage

Deliberate termination of established practices

The abrogation of traditional customs upset elders.
The discontinuation of traditional customs upset elders.
General

"Abrogation" is primarily used in formal contexts, especially in legal and political discourse. It implies an authoritative cancellation rather than a natural termination.

🔄 Usage Comparison

English Examples

The abrogation of the law was unexpected.

Congress debated the abrogation of the policy.

This abrogation of rights cannot be tolerated.

Explanation

The repeal of the law was unexpected.

Congress debated the cancellation of the policy.

This termination of rights cannot be tolerated.

🔊 Pronunciation Guide

British Pronunciation

/ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

ab-ruh-GAY-shun

American Pronunciation

/ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

ab-ruh-GAY-shun

Key Pronunciation Points:

Common Mistakes

  • Pronouncing as "ab-RO-gation" (should be ab-ruh-GAY-shun)
  • Omitting the secondary stress
  • Mispronouncing the "g" as hard /g/ (should be soft /dʒ/)

🎯 Common Collocations

Abrogation + of

Indicates what is being repealed

abrogation of the treaty
cancellation of the treaty
Standard

Legal + abrogation

Describes formal cancellation

legal abrogation
official repeal
Legal

Unilateral + abrogation

One-sided termination

unilateral abrogation
one-sided termination
Political

Grammatical Notes

Verb form: abrogate
Adjective: abrogative

⚠️ Common Confusions

Don't confuse:

Abrogation means temporary suspension. (Incorrect)

Correct: Abrogation means permanent repeal.

Abrogation and amendment are synonyms. (Incorrect)

Correct: Abrogation cancels, while amendment modifies.

✍️ Practice Exercises

Translation Practice

1. The abrogation of the law was controversial.
2. This abrogation of rights violated the constitution.
3. Scholars debated the abrogation of the ancient custom.

1. The repeal of the law was controversial.

2. This termination of rights violated the constitution.

3. Scholars debated the abolition of the ancient custom.

Pronunciation Practice

Repeat these sentences:

• Abrogation requires proper authority. [ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən]
• The abrogation process is complex. [ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən]
• This abrogation was unexpected. [ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən]

Correction Exercise

Identify and correct errors:

1. Abrogation means temporary pause.
2. Pronounced [æˈbroʊɡeɪʃən]
3. The abrogation improved the law.

1. Abrogation means permanent repeal.

2. Pronounced [ˌæb.rəˈɡeɪ.ʃən] (stress on third syllable)

3. The abrogation canceled the law.