Definition of "abolitionism"

abolitionism

/ˌæb.əˈlɪʃ.əˌnɪz.m̩/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural abolitionisms
1. Support for the abolition of something; the tenets of abolitionists.
  Quotations
  Abolitionism is based on the moral conviction that social life should not and, in fact, cannot be regulated effectively by criminal law [...]. As a social movement committed to the abolition of the prison or even the entire penal system, abolitionism originated in campaigns for prisoners' rights and penal reform.
  1991, Willem de Haan, "Abolitionism and Crime Control", in Kevin Martin Stenson, David Cowell, The Politics of Crime Control, SAGE , page 203
  Abolitionism is still a powerful philosophy among contemporary feminists, both in the West and in the developing world.
  2006, Melissa Hope Ditmore, Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 6
  1. Support for the abolition of prisons.
    Quotations
    ABOLITIONISM Prisons and jails have been condemned, at least by some, for as long as they have existed. […] In the United States, the most profound statement of support for abolitionism is the document Instead of Prisons […] Abolitionism has also given emphasis to didferent strategies for change, ranging from simply abolishing prisons to abolishing the entire criminal justice apparatus, […]
    2002, David Levinson, Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, SAGE, page 1
  2. Support for the abolition (banning) of sex work.
    Quotations
    Abolitionism is a term that refers to a particular ideological and legal approach to prostitution. The approach has its roots in 19th-century feminism and is still a potent force […] Thus abolitionism arose as a movement against the state regulation of prostitution. The leader of the abolitionist movement was Josephine Butler, […]
    2006 January 1, Melissa Hope Ditmore, Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 4
  3. (abortion) Support for the abolition (banning) of abortion.
2. (historical, US) Support for the abolition of slavery.