abandonment

[ uh-ban-duhn-muhnt ]

noun

1. an act or instance of leaving a person or thing permanently and completely:

   He struggles to deal with his abandonment by his wife, and now having to care for their infant alone.

2. an act or instance of permanently setting aside a principle, discontinuing an activity, etc.:

   I believe in the struggle for radical social change, but it must be accompanied by an abandonment of the notion that the end justifies the means.

3. an act or instance of giving up control of something, or of yielding to one’s impulses or to an external or spiritual force:

   No psychiatric diagnosis quite captures Hitler’s boundless will to lead, his self-deception, and his utter abandonment to evil.

Other Words From

• non·a·ban·don·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abandonment¹

abandon ( def ) + -ment ( def )

Example Sentences

“We hope that the government does not abandon its investigation of disturbing and egregious allegations of sexual misconduct at the El Paso detention center,” Natarajan said.

From ProPublica

Since 2017, five Alaska officials have resigned or abandoned their reelection campaigns following harassment or sexual misconduct allegations.

From ProPublica

In 1985, they abandoned their classic recipe in favor of “New Coke,” which tasted more like Pepsi.

From Freakonomics

Merkel’s crisis management has been accompanied by her government’s historic decision to abandon its balanced-budget policy, suspending constitutional debt limits as part of a massive stimulus push.

From Fortune

It includes a mix of abandoned buildings and gentrified buildings, and has amazing restaurants and outdoor venues, and historical sites to enjoy.

From No Straight News

Every adopted person has to deal with the fact of abandonment, and what that has done to them.

From The Daily Beast

The sense of insecurity is heightened by the uncertainty and a feeling of abandonment.

From The Daily Beast

Harry and Peter are bound by the loss of their fathers and their abandonment issues.

From The Daily Beast

From The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You by Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin.

From The Daily Beast

Of course arch-conservatives think social breakdown is caused by the abandonment of traditional gender roles.

From The Daily Beast

But her parents, did you never discover any thing about them—who or what they were—the motive of so strange an abandonment?

From Project Gutenberg

In this supreme moment of Felipe's abandonment of all disguises, she saw his whole past life in a new light.

From Project Gutenberg

Correct views of a vow, as altogether wrong, should lead to its abandonment, or a total reconstruction of it.

From Project Gutenberg

The flash of knives—I saw two men stuck—made as little impression upon him as the awful abandonment of—well, of the females.

From Project Gutenberg

And now that evil spirit of abandonment came to Rita—communicated to her, possibly, by her companion.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• renunciation