abandon

The word “abandon” means to leave someone or something behind for good, especially when you have a duty to stay. In plain terms, to leave behind or give up on something or someone completely.

“Abandon” is pronounced uh-BAN-duhn (/əˈbæn.dən/ in IPA).

Here is “abandon” used in a sentence: “The crew was ordered to abandon ship as it began to sink.”

Words with a similar meaning to “abandon” include abdicate, abjure, blin, cast aside, cease and cede.

The opposite of “abandon” — its antonyms — are acquire, adopt, arrogate, advocate and cherish.

Depending on how it is used, “abandon” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “abandon” comes from Old French. From Old French abandoner, built from a ("to") and bandon ("control, jurisdiction"), so originally "to hand over to someone else's control" — which shifted to mean giving something up entirely.

“Abandon” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Leave is neutral and can be temporary, but abandon means leaving someone or something behind for good, especially when you have a duty to stay. Abandoning a child, a ship, or a post implies a permanent and usually blameworthy departure.

Both mean to desert someone or something you have an obligation to, but forsake is older and more literary, and often applies to giving up values, beliefs, or people. Abandon is the everyday word and also covers giving up plans or activities, as in "the search was abandoned."

The verb usually is: it implies walking away from a duty or giving up on something completely. The noun is often positive, though, because it means joyful freedom from restraint, as in "singing with abandon."