desertion

[dih-zur-shuh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR desertion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of deserting or the state of being deserted.

Law. willful abandonment, especially of one's spouse without consent, in violation of legal or moral obligations.

an act of leaving military service or duty without the intention of returning.

Compare AWOL.

Origin of desertion

1585–95; < Late Latin dēsertiōn- (stem of dēsertiō) < Latin dēsert(us) (see desert¹) + -iōn- -ion

Related formspre·de·ser·tion, nounself-de·ser·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for desertion

betrayal, falseness, disaffection, abrogation, dereliction, relinquishment, escape, truancy, apostasy, retirement, evasion, divorce, tergiversation, derelict, avoidance, resignation, flight, perfidy, renunciation, treachery

Examples from the Web for desertion

Contemporary Examples of desertion

“I, Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik, 36896415, confess to the desertion of the United States Army…” it began.
The Last American Soldier Executed for Desertion
Michael Daly
June 6, 2014
A general read aloud the order that Pvt. Eddie Slovik was to be executed for the crime of desertion.
The Last American Soldier Executed for Desertion
Michael Daly
June 6, 2014
His desertion barely warranted a comment, but he was not hailed as a hero.
We Lost Soldiers in the Hunt for Bergdahl, a Guy Who Walked Off in the Dead of Night
Nathan Bradley Bethea
June 2, 2014
“I believe I am the only colonel in the regular army who was ever court-martialed and convicted of desertion,” he laughed.
The U.S. Army's Last Bayonet Charge
David Frum
October 23, 2012
At CPAC, it was hard to find any declarations of defection or desertion should Romney win selection as GOP general-in-chief.
CPAC’s Enthusiastic Crowd Polled for Romney and Cheered for Palin
Michael Medved
February 13, 2012

Historical Examples of desertion

But, talk as he might, in Johnny Rosenfeld's loyal heart there was no thought of desertion.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Should she desert her father, and could that desertion be a virtue?
Leila, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Be mine, and wholly mine—or never, never will I survive your desertion!
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
The greatest wrong you can inflict upon me will be inflicted by your desertion.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
How many guesses have you made as to the cause of your desertion to-day?'
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for desertion

desertion

noun

the act of deserting or abandoning or the state of being deserted or abandoned

law wilful abandonment, esp of one's spouse or children, without consent and in breach of obligations

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for desertion

1590s, from Middle French désertion (early 15c.), from Late Latin desertionem (nominative desertio) "a forsaking, abandoning," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin deserere (see desert (v.)).