Abduction

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əbˈdʌk.ʃn̩/

Definitions

1. The act of forcibly taking someone away against their will, often by use of threats or violence
2. The unlawful act of removing an individual from their surroundings, whether by force, coercion, or deceit, typically against the person's will
3. The act of forcibly carrying someone away without consent ; the motion of moving a limb or body part outward from the midline

Etymology: "Abduction" is built from two Latin parts: "ab," meaning "away," and "dūcere," meaning "to lead." The Romans used "abductiō" for a literal carrying-off, such as seizing a person or leading someone away by force. English took the word over more or less intact, so its core sense has barely moved in two thousand years: taking someone away against their will. The word has a second life in physiology, where it describes movement of a limb or other body part away from the midline of the body. That sense came into the language through French, which had already formed "abduction" from the Latin past participle "abductus." The medical use runs on the same logic as the criminal one, with a part of the body being drawn outward and away. The shared "duct" in "abduct" and "aqueduct," "conduct" and "product," is the same Latin verb, which is why the word feels so transparent to English speakers. Each of those words carries the core idea of leading or bringing something in a particular direction.

Synonyms: kidnapping, snatching, capture, seizure, taking

Antonyms: release, freedom, liberation, return, restoration