abandon

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to leave a person or place forever, especially someone who needs you

   He abandoned his family and moved abroad.

2. 2
   verb

   to stop doing something before it is finished, usually permanently

   They abandoned the project when the money ran out.

3. 3
   verb

   to give up an idea, belief, or plan completely

   We had to abandon our travel plans because of the storm.

4. 4
   verb

   to let yourself be completely controlled by a feeling

   She abandoned herself to grief after the news.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Abandon entered English in the late Middle English period from the Old French phrase a bandon, meaning “at one’s disposal” or “under one’s jurisdiction.” Bandon was related to the Germanic root of ban, whose senses included a proclamation, summons, and banishment.

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”) (whence English ban), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”). See also ban, banal. 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.

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External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary