negligence
Americannoun
-
the quality, fact, or result of being negligent; neglect.
negligence in discharging one's responsibilities.
-
an instance of being negligent.
a downfall brought about by many negligences.
-
Law. the failure to exercise that degree of care that, in the circumstances, the law requires for the protection of other persons or those interests of other persons that may be injuriously affected by the want of such care.
adjective
noun
-
the state or quality of being negligent
-
a negligent act
-
law a civil wrong whereby a person or party is in breach of a legal duty of care to another which results in loss or injury to the claimant
Related Words
See neglect.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of negligence
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, variant of necligence, from Latin necligentia; see negligent, -ence
Explanation
When you are careless or reckless and you don’t take care of a person, object or situation like you ought to, you are practicing negligence. "Her negligence of the house resulted in its being condemned by the city." The noun negligence comes from a Latin word that means “carelessness.” Negligence can come in many forms: negligence of one's children can lead to foster care, negligence while driving can cause fatal accidents, negligence of work can lead to the loss of a job, and negligence of nutrition can cause health problems. There is culpability in negligence. Negligence is when one neglects to do things that should be done, and there are usually consequences.
Vocabulary lists containing negligence
The Things They Carried
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Fever 1793
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Negligence may have led to the deaths of migrants whose boat sank after waiting 10 hours for help off the Canary Islands, a lawsuit has alleged.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2023
Negligence amounts to careless mistakes or breaches of duty.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2022
Negligence claims in tort law generally allow consumers to sue for negligence caused by carelessness, which doesn’t always involve a violation of the law or knowingly entrusting someone unfit to handle the product.
From Washington Post • Mar. 1, 2022
Negligence and lack of safety norms often contribute to such accidents in India.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2022
I would not here be thought to be a Patron of slovenly Negligence; for there is nothing which breeds a greater Aversion in Men of a Delicate Taste.
From Discourse on Criticism and of Poetry (1707) From Poems On Several Occasions (1707) by Cobb, Samuel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
