'abdication' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'abdicatio,' where 'ab-' meant 'away' and 'dicare' meant 'to proclaim.'

'abdicatio' transformed into the French word 'abdication,' and eventually became the modern English word 'abdication' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to renounce a position,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.