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neglect

[ni-glekt]
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verb (used with object)
  1. to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard or slight: The public neglected his genius for many years.
  2. to be remiss in the care or treatment of: to neglect one's family; to neglect one's appearance.
  3. to omit, through indifference or carelessness: to neglect to reply to an invitation.
  4. to fail to carry out or perform (orders, duties, etc.): to neglect the household chores.
  5. to fail to take or use: to neglect no precaution.
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noun
  1. an act or instance of neglecting; disregard; negligence: The neglect of the property was shameful.
  2. the fact or state of being neglected: a beauty marred by neglect.
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Origin of neglect

1520–30; < Latin neglēctus, variant of neclēctus (past participle of neglegere, neclegere to disregard, ignore, slight), equivalent to nec not + leg-, base of legere to pick up + -tus past participle suffix
Related formsne·glect·ed·ly, adverbne·glect·ed·ness, nounne·glect·er, ne·glec·tor, nouno·ver·ne·glect, verb (used with object)pre·ne·glect, verb (used with object)qua·si-ne·glect·ed, adjectiveself-ne·glect, adjectiveself-ne·glect·ing, adjectiveun·ne·glect·ed, adjective

Synonyms

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1. ignore. See slight. 6, 7. default, inattention, heedlessness. Neglect, dereliction, negligence, remissness imply carelessness, failure, or some important omission in the performance of one's duty, a task, etc. Neglect and negligence are occasionally interchangeable, but neglect commonly refers to an instance, negligence to the habit or trait, of failing to attend to or perform what is expected or required: gross neglect of duty; negligence in handling traffic problems. Dereliction implies culpable or reprehensible neglect or failure in the performance of duty: dereliction in a position of responsibility. Remissness implies the omission or the careless or indifferent performance of a duty: remissness in filing a report on the accident.

Antonyms

6. attention, care.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

disrespectcarelessnessindifferenceoversightlapsederelictionnegligencespurnoverlookignorediscountunderestimaterejectdisregarddiscardbypassinadvertenceslightlaxnessinattention

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British Dictionary definitions for neglect

neglect

verb (tr)
  1. to fail to give due care, attention, or time toto neglect a child
  2. to fail (to do something) through thoughtlessness or carelessnesshe neglected to tell her
  3. to ignore or disregardshe neglected his frantic signals
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noun
  1. lack of due care or attention; negligencethe child starved through neglect
  2. the act or an instance of neglecting or the state of being neglected
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Derived Formsneglecter or neglector, noun

Word Origin

C16: from Latin neglegere to neglect, from nec not + legere to select
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

Word Origin and History for neglect

v.

1520s, from Latin neglectus, past participle of neglegere "to make light of, disregard, be indifferent to, not heed, not trouble oneself about," literally "not to pick up," variant of neclegere, from Old Latin nec "not" (see deny) + legere "pick up, select" (see lecture (n.)). Related: Neglected; neglecting.

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n.

1580s, from neglect (v.) or from Latin neglectus "a neglecting," noun use of past participle of neglegere.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper