disregard
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disregards,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disregarded,
past participle, past
-
disregarding
present participle
noun
-
lack of regard or attention; neglect.
- Synonyms:
- oversight, inattention
-
lack of due or respectful regard.
- Synonyms:
- slight, disrespect
verb
-
to give little or no attention to; ignore
-
to treat as unworthy of consideration or respect
noun
-
lack of attention or respect
-
(often plural) social welfare capital or income which is not counted in calculating the amount payable to a claimant for a means-tested benefit
Synonym Usage
See slight.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disregardernoun
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disregardfulnessnoun
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disregardableadjective
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disregardfuladjective
-
disregardfullyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disregardsimple
-
disregardssimple
-
have disregardedperfect
-
has disregardedperfect
-
am disregardingprogressive
-
are disregardingprogressive
-
is disregardingprogressive
-
have been disregardingperfect progressive
-
has been disregardingperfect progressive
Past
-
disregardedsimple
-
had disregardedperfect
-
was disregardingprogressive
-
were disregardingprogressive
-
had been disregardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disregard
Explanation
If everyone at the city council meeting tends to disregard anything that's said by the eccentric gentleman with the parrot on his shoulder, it means that no one pays any attention to him. To disregard something is to ignore it, or to deliberately pay it no attention. Sometimes the word is used to mean "neglect," implying that something important is not being taken care of. Disregard can also be a noun; you could complain that your family has a complete disregard for your privacy when they gather outside your bedroom door to eavesdrop on your telephone conversations.
Vocabulary lists containing disregard
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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Purple Hibiscus
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The Boy Who Invented TV
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Actual malice is high bar to meet, as it requires proof that the defendant knew the defamatory statement was false or acted with reckless disregard for whether it was true or not.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
In addition, the jury found the two deputies acted with reckless disregard and awarded $10 million in punitive damages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
The online retailer has emailed customers apologising for the "unauthorised push notification" containing an external link, adding that they should disregard the message and not click on it.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
But before the change, when umpires had precedent for allowing the neighborhood play, suppose an upright rookie umpire decided to apply the rules with literalistic rigidity and disregard for the traditions of his fellow umpires.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Unfortunately, the sort of individual who is programmed to ignore personal distress and keep pushing for the top is frequently programmed to disregard signs of grave and imminent danger as well.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
The Seneca Nation is calling on President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” arguing that the move disregards centuries of Indigenous history and the United States’ treaty obligations.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
“This is a new phenomenon that disregards the idea that transparency and disclosure are important,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
As Mr. McGurn observes, it’s ironic that Pope Leo, previously an Augustinian friar, disregards the seminal work on just-war philosophy by his order’s namesake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
SSI provides very modest benefits because its asset limits and income disregards have not been updated in decades.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 10, 2026
However, as stories so often show, what elders say youth disregards.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
But it is also true that whatever the circumstances, she expects to be ignored, certainly disregarded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Thirlwall found that if a doctor – named in the report as Dr ZA - had not disregarded the insulin test result for baby F in August 2015 then there should have been safeguarding action.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The Moores’ attorney responded: “Farmers … does not explain why it disregarded substantial post-remediation evidence demonstrating that its original scope was inadequate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Their concerns were disregarded, prompting most to resign.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Bigger felt in them a coldness that disregarded everybody.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
But when when one looks at his record disregarding those two factors, he measures up very well against several HOF pitchers during his long time in the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
He has accomplished this by completely disregarding what has become one of the defining trends of modern baseball.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The changes also help to assuage potential anxiety operators might have felt about disregarding state and local laws and the lawsuits that result from that disregard for the law.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
Responding, Sir Keir accused Farage of disregarding pleas from Nowak's family that his death should not be used to stoke division in society.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Given the responsibilities for other lives he’d taken on, disregarding symptoms of hepatitis for a month seemed almost a selfish act to me.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
