English Explanatory Dictionary

abandon

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.
  2. To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.
  3. To leave behind; to desert, as in a ship, a position, or a person, typically in response to overwhelming odds or impending dangers; to forsake, in spite of a duty or responsibility.
  4. To subdue; to take control of.
  5. To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.
  6. To no longer exercise a right, title, or interest, especially with no interest of reclaiming it again; to yield; to relinquish.
  7. To surrender to the insurer (an insured item), so as to claim a total loss.
noun
  1. A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences. (Now especially in the phrase with abandon.)
  2. Abandonment; relinquishment.

Pronunciation

/əˈbæn.dən/ en-us-abandon.ogg en-ca-abandon.ogg

Word forms

abandon abandons abandoning abandoned no-table-tags glossary abandonest abandonedst abandoneth

Etymology

From Middle English abandounen, from Old French abandoner, formed from a (“at, to”) + bandon (“jurisdiction, control”), from Late Latin bannum (“proclamation”), bannus, bandum, from Frankish *ban, *bann, from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to proclaim, command”) (whence English ban), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”). See also ban, banal. Displaced Middle English forleten (“to abandon”), from Old English forlǣtan, anforlǣtan; see forlet; and Middle English forleven (“to leave behind, abandon”), from Old English forlǣfan; see forleave.

Synonyms

abdicate abjure blin cast aside cease cede deliver up depart from desert desist from discontinue dispense with drop forgo forlet forsake forswear give up jilt leave behind part with quit recant relinquish renounce repudiate resign retire retract run out on surrender vacate waive withdraw from withsake yield abandon beleave bug out wantonness unrestraint libertinism abandonment profligacy unconstraint

Antonyms

acquire adopt advocate arrogate cherish claim defend embrace engage gain hold join keep maintain occupy protect retain undertake unite uphold vindicate hold the fort stand one's ground

Related words

flee

Derived words

aband abandonability abandonable abandoned abandonee abandoner abandon hope, all ye who enter here abandonment abandon ship abandonware all hope abandon ye who enter here reabandon unabandon abandonly abandonness
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