Abandon Definition

ə-băndən

abandoned, abandoning, abandons

verb

abandoned, abandoning, abandons

To withdraw one's support or help from, especially in spite of duty, allegiance, or responsibility; desert.

Abandon a friend in trouble.

American Heritage

To give up (something) completely or forever.

To abandon all hope.

Webster's New World

To give up by leaving or ceasing to operate or inhabit, especially as a result of danger or other impending threat.

Abandoned the ship.

American Heritage

To leave, as in danger or out of necessity; forsake; desert.

Webster's New World

To surrender one's claim to, right to, or interest in; give up entirely.

Abandon a belief.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

Great enthusiasm or lack of restraint.

Skied with abandon.

American Heritage

Unrestrained freedom of action or emotion; surrender to one's impulses.

To shout in wild abandon.

Webster's New World

A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences. [Early 19^th century.]

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

adverb

(obsolete, not comparable) Freely; entirely.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Abandon

Singular:

abandon

Plural:

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”) (compare English ban), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-, *bʰa- (“to speak”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English abandounen from Old French abandoner from a bandon at one's own discretion, without restraint a at (from Latin ad ad–) bandon control bhā-² in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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).

From Wiktionary
From French, from Old French abandon, from abondonner.

From Wiktionary