disregard
Americanverb (used with object)
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disregards,
present (3rd person singular)
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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
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disregardfullyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disregardsimple
-
disregardssimple
-
have disregardedperfect
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has disregardedperfect
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am disregardingprogressive
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are disregardingprogressive
-
is disregardingprogressive
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have been disregardingperfect progressive
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has been disregardingperfect progressive
Past
-
disregardedsimple
-
had disregardedperfect
-
was disregardingprogressive
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were disregardingprogressive
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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:
But Cruise’s story is also an ironic reflection of “Digger”: an undeniably ambitious project whose assuredness belies a stubborn disregard for everyone but itself.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
Instead, she responded with regal disregard: “I will not comment on a Facebook post.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
"Tampering with or damaging TfL's property is unacceptable and seriously risks the safety of the public. Those attempting to interfere with Ulez infrastructure show a complete disregard for the law," Hayward said.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Prosecutors can prove murder charges based on someone’s intent to kill or through a defendant’s conscious disregard for human life, known as implied malice, legal experts told The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
She thought it might be too soon to be leaving the river, but as she walked on, she sensed him watching her and thought it would be impolite to disregard his directions.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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 incident is a grave precedent, and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem,” the church leaders said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Greater Manchester Police said the crash on Manchester's Kingsway was "one of the worst disregards of speeding" officers had seen.
From BBC ● May 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
The law says the penalty is harsher if someone should have known of the risks and harsher still—manslaughter—if the person does know the risks and wantonly disregards them.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
But it is also true that whatever the circumstances, she expects to be ignored, certainly disregarded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
"He just completely disregarded the information that they gave," the juror added.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Their concerns were disregarded, prompting most to resign.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
She said that an expert for the prosecution conceded that point and that the data from Grossman’s Mercedes had anomalies and should be disregarded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
His views made it all the way to the White House where, plainly, they were disregarded.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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
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
He added that Massie had his enemies in the state politics – acquired by not playing nice with local business leaders and disregarding the everyday work of legislating in favour of high-publicity efforts.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
Charles Rivkin, the chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Association, called on ByteDance to "immediately cease its infringing activity," accusing it of disregarding copyright law that protects creators and underpins millions of jobs.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
He saw Blackberry watching him intently, waiting for his lead and disregarding Bigwig’s.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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.
