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désertion

desertion, abandonment

noun deh-zehr-SYOHN Rare

Origin: from Latin desertio

Usage Note

Désertion in a military context means leaving one's post without permission, a serious offence historically punishable by death. In a broader sense it can describe the abandonment of a cause, duty, or relationship. The verb is déserter and the agent noun is déserteur, famously used as a title of Boris Vian's anti-war song Le Déserteur (1954).

Examples

"Il a été condamné pour désertion en temps de guerre."

Natural Translation

He was convicted of desertion in wartime.

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