to step down from a position of power.

The king decided to abdicate in favor of his smart, though woefully impetuous son. 

to shorten, condense, or lessen in length

At firs the planed a length abdication (adj.) speech, but then he decided to give an abridged (adj.) version so he wouldn't bore his kingdom to death. Had he not decided to abridge (v.) the speech himself, the queen was planning to lose it. 

extremely wretched, bottomless

The prisoners had been living in an abysmal situation 

to comply passively, to give in

The king's cabinet did not easily acquiesce to the pardons. Their acquiescence (n) was critical.

to support, or be in favor of

Not one cabinet member could advocate(v) the king's position. They all became advocates(n) of his proposal, however, when the king's song threatened to behead them. 

concerned with or appreciative of beauty

The queen, with her fine aesthetic sense, decided to stage the abdication with an eye towards high drama and bright colors. The queen considered her lady-in-waiting a true aesthete(n) and often consulted with her when it came to matters of beauty and taste. 

sympathy, attraction, kinship