Synonyms

negligence

American

[neg-li-juhns] / ˈnɛg lɪ dʒəns /

noun

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

Law. pertaining to or involving a civil action for compensation for damages filed by a person who claims to have suffered an injury or loss in an accident caused by another's negligence.

a negligence suit;
a large negligence award.

negligence British

/ ˈnɛɡlɪdʒəns /

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

"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

Related Words

See neglect.

Other Word Forms

nonnegligence noun
overnegligence noun
prenegligence noun
supernegligence noun

Etymology

Origin of negligence

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, variant of necligence, from Latin necligentia; negligent, -ence

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.

The families had sued the maker of the popular chatbot Character.AI and Google in states including Florida, Colorado, Texas and New York for hurting their children and negligence.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is, for better or for worse, a difference between outright fraud, misconduct and negligence.

From MarketWatch

Local police have launched an investigation into the sinking, state news agency Antara reported on Thursday, with a police spokesman saying legal action would be taken if authorities can find evidence of negligence.

From Barron's

Critics say the laws have gone too far, potentially leaving utilities financially unharmed from fires caused by their negligence.

From Los Angeles Times

Police are investigating the incident to assess whether there was any professional negligence, such as in the manufacturing and maintenance of the travelator.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023