三单词均有抛弃及放弃的含义。
abandon主要指因挫折、气馁、厌倦、厌恶等原因而放弃或中止某事（包括权利或义务），或遗弃财产（to denote a complete giving up，especially of what one has previously been interested in or responsible for),，且有永远不再主张之含义。包括to abandon a crime “ 中止犯罪”；to abandon a contract “撤销合同” (cf. abandonment) 。在家庭法上，尤指“离弃”配偶或家庭成 员（有离开而不再归来的含义，cf. abandonment)，如to abandon a child “离弃子女”。relinquish含义最广，可用于指权利或财产等的放弃，常表示自愿（虽然有时也表示被迫），故多无暴力行为或强烈情感相伴随。renounce则指自愿或正式宣布放弃某事，如：to renounce one's claim, right, authority, principle 等[6]。
        
[1] Cf. The Editors of the Reader’s Digest, Use the Right Word, at p. 335，The Reader's Digest Association Proprietary Ltd. (1971).
[2] “To give up with the intent of never again asserting or claiming an interest in ( a right or property). ” Cf. Linda Picard Wood, J. D. , Meniam Webster’s Dictionary of Law, at p. 1 , Meniara-Webster, Incorporated, Springfield, Massachusetts (1996).
[3] Family law，to leave a spouse or child willfully and without an intention to return. ” Cf. Bryan A. Gamer, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th edition, at p. 2, West Group (1999).
[4] "To abandon, to give up, to surrender, to renounce some right or thing. ” Cf. The
Publisher’s Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 895，West Publishing Co. (1991).
[5] “A word wide in meaning, usu. does not suggest forceful action or strong feeling in dropping, desisting, renouncing； it sometimes suggests regret at giving up or delay in the process. " Cf. Philip Babcock Grove, Ph. D. , Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, at p.. 1918, G & C Merriam Co. (1976).
[6] “Renounce means to declare against or give up formally and definitively. ” Cf. The Editors of the Reader's Digest, Use the Right Word, at p. 487, The Reader's Digest Association Proprietary Ltd, (1971).