'pro-abolition' originates from Latin, specifically the words 'pro' and 'abolitio', where 'pro' meant 'for' and 'abolitio' came from the Latin verb 'abolēre' meaning 'to do away with'.

'pro-' (Latin) combined with English 'abolition' (from Old French 'abolicion' ultimately from Latin 'abolitio') and was used in English political contexts in the 18th and 19th centuries, notably during movements to abolish slavery, producing the compound usage 'pro-abolition'.

Initially it literally meant 'for a doing away', but over time it evolved to mean 'supporting the abolition of a particular institution or law'.