desertion

de·ser·tion

noun \di-ˈzər-shən\

Definition of DESERTION

1

: an act of deserting; especially : the abandonment without consent or legal justification of a person, post, or relationship and the associated duties and obligations <sued for divorce on grounds of desertion>

2

: a state of being deserted or forsaken

Examples of DESERTION

1. <the soldiers were imprisoned for desertion of their posts>

First Known Use of DESERTION

1591

Related to DESERTION

Synonyms: abandonment, dereliction, forsaking

Antonyms: reclamation

Related Words: defection; tergiversation; discard, dumping, jettisoning

Near Antonyms: retention; recoupment, repossession, retrieval

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Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with DESERTION

assertion, Cistercian, exertion, insertion