DIMENSIONS: DENOTATION / Quality
R E F E R E N C E S
Abbandon v.t. 1. to leave or forsake completely and finally: to abandon a sinking ship; to abandon a child. 2. to give up; discontinue; withdraw from: to abandon a research project. 3. to give up the possession or control of: to abandon a city to a conqueror. 4. to yield [oneself] utterly to oneÍs emotions or to an impulse. 5. Law, to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child. 6. Insurance. to relinquish [insured property] to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the iinsured to claim a total loss. 7. Obs. to banish. [ME abando(u)ne < MF abandon(er) for OF (mettre) a bandon (put) under ban = a at, to (< L ad; see AD-) + bandon < LL bandum, var. of bannon interdict < Gmc; see BAN2]
-Syn. Abandon, Relinquish, Renouce mean to give up all concern in something. Abandon means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon oneÍs efforts. Relinguish implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinguish a long-cherished desire. Renounce implies making [and perhaps formally stating] a voluntary decision to give something up: to renounce worldly pleasures. See also desert.2. 3. yield, surrender, resign, abdicate.
Abbandoned adj. 1. forsaken; deserted; an abandned child: an abandoned cabin. 2. unrestrained; uncontrolled. 3. utterly lacking in moral restraints; shameless.
-Syn. see immoral.
[Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House, 1968.]
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