benign neglect

American  

noun

1. an attitude or policy of noninterference or neglect of a situation, which may have a more beneficial effect than assuming responsibility; well-intentioned neglect.

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Etymology

Origin of benign neglect

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Since then, dollar policy has mostly consisted of benign neglect: rhetorical support for a strong dollar without any supporting action.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

We bought a 100-year-old house about 2 1/2 years ago, and while it had good bones it suffered from benign neglect.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 10, 2025

It is this lack of maternal attention that sends Ellis’ two older sisters on different paths, with the same goal in mind: to fill the lacuna left by their mother’s benign neglect.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2025

“This benign neglect of a critical public safety service on the water is unacceptable. We must restore full funding and staffing of the Seattle Harbor Patrol,” they wrote.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 10, 2022

Finally, we come to the jealousy and mostly benign neglect of her masters in Cairo, to whom Alexandria and her port were, at best, redundant, and at worst, a reminder of Egypt’s foreign-dominated past.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro