reckless abandonment

American  

[rek-lis uh-ban-duhn-muhnt] / ˈrɛk lɪs əˈbæn dən mənt /

noun

Law.

1. the crime of deliberately and permanently leaving a child alone and in a condition or situation that leads to the child’s death.

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Commonly Confused

Reckless abandonment and reckless abandon both involve being reckless and abandoning someone or something, but they are quite different. Reckless abandonment is the serious crime of abandoning or deserting a child in circumstances that result in the child’s death; it is reckless because it indicates a total disregard for the welfare of a helpless or dependent person and for the consequences of one’s actions towards that person. Reckless abandon, on the other hand, is an attitude of abandoning or throwing off one’s inhibitions and giving oneself up to a passion or enthusiasm for something. It is reckless because no attention is paid to possible cost, the opinions of others, or the assumed rules of “sensible” behavior.

Etymology

Origin of reckless abandonment

First recorded in 1820–30, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

“No one is recommending a reckless abandonment of common sense,” he said.

From Washington Post

“But here’s the thing: He showed us kids how to play mean, throw elbows and play with reckless abandonment. My daddy used to tell me all the time, ‘You got to rebound like Barkley and get some elbows up.’

From Washington Post

The reckless abandonment can get put into the work, and I don’t need to go seek it out.

From New York Times

Richard Shelby, a republican senator from Alabama, said Congress would not "sit back and watch the reckless abandonment of sound principles, a proven track record, a steady path to success, and the destruction of our human spaceflight programme".

From BBC

Social media quickly exploded at Trump's remarks, condemning him for both his reckless abandonment of the Constitution and his apparent intent to distract his base from bad press:

From Salon