abandon definition | Dictionary.com

a⋅ban⋅don

1 [uh-ban-duh

–verb (used with object)

1.	to leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert: to abandon one's farm; to abandon a child; to abandon a sinking ship.

2.	to give up; discontinue; withdraw from: to abandon a research project; to abandon hopes for a stage career.

3.	to give up the control of: to abandon a city to an enemy army.

4.	to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control: to abandon oneself to grief.

5.	Law. to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.

6.	Insurance. to relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.

7.	Obsolete. to banish.

Origin:
1325–75; ME abando(u)nen < MF abandoner for OF (mettre) a bandon (put) under (someone's) jurisdiction, equiv. to a at, to (< L ad; see ad- ) + bandon < Gmc *band; see bond ¹

Related forms:

a⋅ban⋅don⋅a⋅ble, adjective

a⋅ban⋅don⋅er, noun

a⋅ban⋅don⋅ment, noun

Synonyms:
1. See desert ² . 2. Abandon, relinquish, renounce mean to give up all concern in something. Abandon means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon one's efforts. Relinquish implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinquish a long-cherished desire. Renounce implies making (and perhaps formally stating) a voluntary decision to give something up: to renounce worldly pleasures. 3. yield, surrender, resign, waive, abdicate.

Antonyms:
1. keep. 2. continue; begin, start. 3. retain.

a⋅ban⋅don

2 [uh-ban-duh

–noun

a complete surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation; freedom from inhibition or conventionality: to dance with reckless abandon.

Origin:
1815–25; < F, n. deriv. of abandonner to abandon ¹

Antonyms:
restraint, constraint.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To abandon

a·ban·don (ə-bān'dən)

tr.v. a·ban·doned, a·ban·don·ing, a·ban·dons

To withdraw one's support or help from, especially in spite of duty, allegiance, or responsibility; desert: abandon a friend in trouble.
To give up by leaving or ceasing to operate or inhabit, especially as a result of danger or other impending threat: abandoned the ship.
To surrender one's claim to, right to, or interest in; give up entirely. See Synonyms at relinquish.
To cease trying to continue; desist from: abandoned the search for the missing hiker.
To yield (oneself) completely, as to emotion.

Unbounded enthusiasm; exuberance.
A complete surrender of inhibitions.

[Middle English abandounen, from Old French abandoner, from a bandon : a, at (from Latin ad; see ad-) + bandon, control; see bhā-² in Indo-European roots.]
a·ban'don·er n., a·ban'don·ment n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Abandon

A*ban"don\ ([.a]*b[a^]n"d[u^]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abandoned (-d[u^]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Abandoning.] [OF. abandoner, F. abandonner; a (L. ad) + bandon permission, authority, LL. bandum, bannum, public proclamation, interdiction, bannire to proclaim, summon: of Germanic origin; cf. Goth. bandwjan to show by signs, to designate OHG. ban proclamation. The word meant to proclaim, put under a ban, put under control; hence, as in OE., to compel, subject, or to leave in the control of another, and hence, to give up. See Ban.]

1. To cast or drive out; to banish; to expel; to reject. [Obs.]

That he might . . . abandon them from him. --Udall.

Being all this time abandoned from your bed. --Shak.

2. To give up absolutely; to forsake entirely; to renounce utterly; to relinquish all connection with or concern on; to desert, as a person to whom one owes allegiance or fidelity; to quit; to surrender.

Hope was overthrown, yet could not be abandoned. --I. Taylor.

3. Reflexively: To give (one's self) up without attempt at self-control; to yield (one's self) unrestrainedly; -- often in a bad sense.

He abandoned himself . . . to his favorite vice. --Macaulay.

4. (Mar. Law) To relinquish all claim to; -- used when an insured person gives up to underwriters all claim to the property covered by a policy, which may remain after loss or damage by a peril insured against.

Syn: To give up; yield; forego; cede; surrender; resign; abdicate; quit; relinquish; renounce; desert; forsake; leave; retire; withdraw from.

Usage: To Abandon, Desert, Forsake. These words agree in representing a person as giving up or leaving some object, but differ as to the mode of doing it. The distinctive sense of abandon is that of giving up a thing absolutely and finally; as, to abandon one's friends, places, opinions, good or evil habits, a hopeless enterprise, a shipwrecked vessel. Abandon is more widely applicable than forsake or desert. The Latin original of desert appears to have been originally applied to the case of deserters from military service. Hence, the verb, when used of persons in the active voice, has usually or always a bad sense, implying some breach of fidelity, honor, etc., the leaving of something which the person should rightfully stand by and support; as, to desert one's colors, to desert one's post, to desert one's principles or duty. When used in the passive, the sense is not necessarily bad; as, the fields were deserted, a deserted village, deserted halls. Forsake implies the breaking off of previous habit, association, personal connection, or that the thing left had been familiar or frequented; as, to forsake old friends, to forsake the paths of rectitude, the blood forsook his cheeks. It may be used either in a good or in a bad sense.

Abandon

A*ban"don\, n. [F. abandon. fr. abandonner. See Abandon, v.] Abandonment; relinquishment. [Obs.]

Abandon

A`ban`don"\ ([.a]`b[aum]N`d[^o]N"), n. [F. See Abandon.] A complete giving up to natural impulses; freedom from artificial constraint; careless freedom or ease.

Language Translation for : abandon

Spanish: abandonar, dejar,

German: zurücklassen,

Japanese: 捨てる

More Translations »

abandon

1375, "to subjugate, subdue," from O.Fr. abandoner "surrender," from à "at, to" + bandon "power, jurisdiction," in phrase mettre à bandon "to give up to a public ban," from L. bannum, "proclamation," from a Frankish word related to ban (v.). Etymologically, the word carries a sense of "put someone under someone else's control." Meaning "to give up absolutely" is from 1386. The noun sense of "letting loose, surrender to natural impulses" (1822) is from Fr. abandon.

abandon

To elect not to exercise an option.

Main Entry: aban·don
Function: transitive verb
1 : to give up with the intent of never again asserting or claiming an interest in (a right or property)
2 : to disassociate oneself from or forsake in spite of a duty or responsibility to <abandon one's child>
3 : to renounce one's obligations and rights under <abandon a contract>
4 : to fail purposely to bring to completion or fruition <abandon a crime> <abandon a lawsuit>

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