abatement

UK: /əˈbeɪtmənt/ US: (ə bāt′mənt)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•bate•ment  (ə bāt′mənt), n. 

1. the act or state of abating or the state of being abated;
   reduction;
   decrease;
   alleviation;
   mitigation.
2. suppression or termination:
   abatement of a nuisance; noise abatement.
3. Business an amount deducted or subtracted, as from the usual price or the full tax.
4. Law
   • a reduction of a tax assessment.
   • the termination of a nuisance.
   • a wrongful entry on land made by a stranger, after the owner's death and before the owner's heir or devisee has obtained possession.
   • a decrease in the legacies of a will when the assets of an estate are insufficient to pay all general legacies in full.
5. Heraldry Also called rebatement. a charge or mark that, when introduced into a coat of arms, indicates the owner's disgrace.

• Middle French; see abate, -ment
• Middle English 1300–50

Synonyms

• 1. . lessening, letup, diminution.
• 2. . end, cessation.

Antonyms

• 1. . intensification, increase.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

abatement / əˈbeɪtmənt/ noun

1. diminution or alleviation; decrease
2. suppression or termination: the abatement of a nuisance
3. the amount by which something is reduced, such as the cost of an article
4. a decrease in the payment to creditors or legatees when the assets of the debtor or estate are insufficient to meet all payments in full
5. (formerly) a wrongful entry on land by a stranger who takes possession after the death of the owner and before the heir has entered into possession