abandonment
abandonment Lexical Profile
abandonment Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The act of leaving a person, place, or thing permanently or for a long time, especially when there is a duty to stay and care for them; the state of being deserted.
"The sudden abandonment of the historic mining town left rows of empty houses along the hillside."
The act of discontinuing an ongoing activity, project, or practice, or of giving up an idea, belief, or claim before completion.
"Financial constraints eventually forced the abandonment of the ambitious railway expansion project."
Complete lack of inhibition or restraint; total surrender to natural impulses or emotions.
"The dancers moved across the stage with joyous abandonment as the final orchestral movement reached its climax."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'abandonment' usually refers to the act of deserting someone or giving something up, the shorter noun 'abandon' is preferred in modern English for the sense of uninhibited emotional freedom (as in 'with reckless abandon').
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from French 'abandonnement', from the verb 'abandonner' (to surrender or leave to another's control) plus the noun-forming suffix '-ment'.