negligent

[ neg-li-juhnt ]
See synonyms for negligent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. guilty of or characterized by neglect, as of duty: negligent officials.

  2. lazily careless; offhand: a negligent wave of his manicured hand.

Origin of negligent

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, variant of necligent, from Latin necligent-, negligent-, stem of negligēns “disregarding,” present participle of negligere, variant of neglegere “to disregard, ignore, slight”; see neglect

Other words for negligent

Other words from negligent

  • neg·li·gent·ly, adverb
  • non·neg·li·gent, adjective
  • non·neg·li·gent·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·neg·li·gent, adjective
  • o·ver·neg·li·gent·ly, adverb
  • pre·neg·li·gent, adjective
  • qua·si-neg·li·gent, adjective
  • su·per·neg·li·gent, adjective
  • su·per·neg·li·gent·ly, adverb
  • un·neg·li·gent, adjective

Words Nearby negligent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use negligent in a sentence

  • If there be no facilities for stopping for the night, a driver is not negligent should he proceed through the fog.

  • But he is not an insurer of the property; and therefore is not liable for loss by fire unless he has been negligent.

  • This rule does not prevent him from seeking relief when the agent of the insurer has been negligent.

  • His negligent lack of interest seemed to me to be an evident giving of his voice to the queen, if he was a part of this gathering.

    Valley of the Croen | Lee Tarbell
  • "My name is Ivan Behrend," returned the stranger, without changing his negligent attitude.

    Black Diamonds | Mr Jkai

British Dictionary definitions for negligent

negligent

/ (ˈnɛɡlɪdʒənt) /


adjective
  1. habitually neglecting duties, responsibilities, etc; lacking attention, care, or concern; neglectful

  2. careless or nonchalant

Derived forms of negligent

  • negligently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012