abandonment legal definition

noun

1. The act of abandoning property or a right with no intent of reclaiming it or of later giving it away or selling it. See also forfeiture, relinquishment, renunciation, surrender, and waiver.
2. The act of abandoning a person with the intent of terminating the duties or him or her. For example, the intentional failure by a parent to communicate with or to provide financial or other support to his children. See also desertion.