Desertion

Desertion is the act of abandoning a person, cause, or organization, especially a military unit or a spouse, in violation of a duty or promise. It implies a withdrawal or departure without proper authorization or intention to return, often driven by feelings of disaffection, fear, or a perceived lack of support. Desertion can have severe legal, social, and emotional consequences, depending on the context. It represents a betrayal of trust and responsibility, impacting the abandoned party and potentially disrupting established systems or structures. The severity of the act varies based on the nature of the commitment broken, and the Desertion itself may be implicit or explicit.

Desertion meaning with examples

• The soldier faced court-martial for Desertion after he fled the battlefield, leaving his comrades to fight. The commander argued his actions were a betrayal, a dereliction of duty that endangered the mission. He was deemed to have abandoned his post and his oath. This drastic decision had lasting ramifications.
• Faced with overwhelming economic hardship, many families experienced Desertion as one spouse, unable to cope, abandoned the home and their children. Their lives changed drastically, with the remaining partner struggling to make ends meet. It can have immense psychological impacts on the ones abandoned.
• Following a tumultuous series of internal conflicts, several key members engaged in a Desertion of the project. They abandoned their responsibilities in order to work on another project, leaving the rest of the team short-handed. This damaged the project's timeline and goals severely.
• Accused of financial malfeasance, the company's CEO chose Desertion and fled the country to evade prosecution. The company's stakeholders felt betrayed. The board of directors was left scrambling to recover the assets and mitigate the reputational damage caused by their abandoned position.
• After years of arguing, their relationship ended in a mutual Desertion where both partners simply stopped trying, drifting apart without formally ending the relationship. This tacit abandonment, though less dramatic, caused long-term emotional damage for each person and required extensive therapy.