vbl. sb. [f. ABDICATE v. + -ING1.] The act of formally resigning, renouncing or abandoning. (Now mostly gerundial.)
1673. Lady’s Calling, I. § 2. 7. 14. If the abdicating a child be a thing so unnatural.
1688. Ld. Somers, Speech, For the abdicating a thing, it is sufficient to do an act which is inconsistent with retaining it.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. On king James II.’s leaving the kingdom, and abdicating the government, the Lords would have had the word desertion made use of.
1875. H. E. Manning, Mission of Holy Ghost, iii. 87. It is not content with abdicating the powers of reason.
