| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| abandonment |
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| in law, voluntary, intentional, and absolute relinquishment of rights or property without conveying them to any other person. Abandonment also means willfully leaving ones spouse or children, intending not to return (see desertion). In many states the abandonment of a child is a criminal offense. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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