Abatements

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A reduction or alleviation of something, especially in the context of taxes or fines
2. the act of lessening or diminishing a problem, like noise or pollution levels
3. a formal term for a decrease in intensity or severity, particularly in legal or financial obligations

Etymology: "Abatements" is simply the plural of "abatement," a noun meaning a reduction or lowering of something, here specifically of charges. The base word comes from Middle English "abatement," which entered English from Anglo-Norman "abatre," meaning "to abate," itself carried over from Old French "abatre." The Old French verb is built from "a-" and "batre," meaning "to beat" or "to strike," so at root it describes knocking something down. The noun takes its ending from "-ment," a suffix borrowed through French that turns a verb into a noun naming the act or result of the action. An abatement is therefore the result of abating: something beaten down to a lower level. That physical picture of striking something down is what the legal and everyday senses have carried forward, with "abate" later meaning to diminish in strength, amount, or intensity.

Synonyms: reductions, diminutions, decreases, lessenings, dwindlings

Antonyms: increases, augmentations, amplifications, enhancements, expansions