This word is acceptable for play in the US & UK dictionaries that are being used in the following games:

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n. Diminution in amount, degree, or intensity; moderation.

n. The amount lowered; a reduction.

n. Law The act of eliminating or annulling.

n. The act of abating, or the state of being abated; a lessening, diminution, or reduction; removal or putting an end to.

n. The amount abated; that which is taken away by way of reduction; deduction; decrease; a rebate or discount allowed.

n. A mark of dishonor on an escutcheon.

n. The entry of a stranger, without right, into a freehold after the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee.

n. The act of abating, or the state of being abated; diminution, decrease, reduction, or mitigation: as, abatement of grief or pain.

n. The amount, quantity, or sum by which anything is abated or reduced; deduction; decrease.

n. In heraldry, a mark annexed to coat-armor, in order to denote some dishonorable act of the person bearing the coat of arms, or his illegitimate descent.

n. In law: Removal or destruction, as of a nuisance.

n. Failure; premature end; suspension or diminution, as of an action or of a legacy. See abate.

n. The act of intruding on a freehold vacated by the death of its former owner, and not yet entered on by the heir or devisee.

n. In revenue law:

n. A deduction from or refunding of duties on goods damaged during importation or in store.

n. A deduction from the amount of a tax. The mode of abatement is prescribed by statute.

n. In carpentry, the waste of a piece of stuff caused by working it into shape.

n. Rebate, allowance, deduction, discount, mitigation.

n. the act of abating

n. an interruption in the intensity or amount of something

"For this particular story, we'll say the abatement is contained within the community (rather than a new, out-of-state biz, which is good locally and bad elsewhere)."

plea in abatement   

plea in abatement   

defense in abatement    plea in abatement   

deduction    decrease   

Restatement    misstatement    reinstatement    restatement    statement   

mitigation    diminution    alleviation    palliation    radon    shrinkage    lull    depreciation    decrement    intermission