abandonment
noun
aban·don·ment
ə-ˈban-dən-mənt 
1
: the act of abandoning something or someone
the abandonment of a child/home
2
: the state of being abandoned
fear of abandonment
The opulence of her life as an expat wife failed to soothe her feelings of abandonment, boredom and oppression.—
Bob Shacochis
—sometimes used before another nounBob Shacochisabandonment issues
Examples of abandonment in a Sentence
sang at the top of her lungs with complete abandonment in the shower
the law says abandonment by the owner of any building for more than a year entitles the city to sell it
the park commissioner cited cost considerations as the main reason for the project's abandonment
Recent Examples on the Web
These stories emerge instead from a landscape of abandonment, silencing, and unresolved loss.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
There are moments of genuine feeling when his eyes register something close to terror at the prospect of abandonment.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
In northern Europe, forest gains were associated with forest management, while in Asia, gains were observed in areas of post-Soviet agricultural abandonment, as well as in larch forests near the Yakutsk permafrost zone in Russia's Eastern Siberia, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2026
Over centuries, silt gradually pushed the shoreline further away, contributing to Ephesus’ abandonment by the time of the Ottoman era in the 15th century.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abandonment
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
There are moments of genuine feeling when his eyes register something close to terror at the prospect of abandonment.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
In northern Europe, forest gains were associated with forest management, while in Asia, gains were observed in areas of post-Soviet agricultural abandonment, as well as in larch forests near the Yakutsk permafrost zone in Russia's Eastern Siberia, according to the paper.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2026
Over centuries, silt gradually pushed the shoreline further away, contributing to Ephesus’ abandonment by the time of the Ottoman era in the 15th century.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for abandonment
Cite this Entry
“Abandonment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abandonment. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
