English▸ verb [with object]
1 cease to support or look after (someone); desert:
her natural mother had abandoned her at an early age.
▪ leave (a place or vehicle) empty or uninhabited, without intending to return:
derelict houses were abandoned.
▪ (abandon someone/something to) condemn someone or something to (a specified fate) by ceasing to take an interest in them:
an attempt to persuade businesses not to abandon the area to inner-city deprivation.
2 give up completely (a course of action, a practice, or a way of thinking):
he had clearly abandoned all pretense of trying to succeed.
▪ discontinue (a scheduled event) before completion:
against the background of perceived threats, the tour was abandoned.
3 (abandon oneself to) allow oneself to indulge in (a desire or impulse):
they abandoned themselves to despair.
▸ noun complete lack of inhibition or restraint:
she sings and sways with total abandon.
– ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French abandoner, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + bandon ‘control’ (related to ban1). The original sense was ‘bring under control’, later ‘give in to the control of, surrender to’ (abandon (SENSE 3 OF THE verb)).