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.

Authorities have now arrested three executives from the construction firm, citing "gross negligence".

From BBC

Police have arrested three men from the construction company involved, accusing the firm of gross negligence leading to the accident and causing the fire "to spread rapidly beyond control".

From Barron's

"Omission, negligence or incompetence, it's the same," she said.

From Barron's

The court criticised the police and investigating agencies for carrying out a flawed investigation, marked by "negligence and delay" because of which "the true offender" had not been identified.

From BBC

"We will be suing Marathon and the other entities" for gross negligence over Higgins death, Houston attorney Tony Buzbee said on Wednesday.

From Reuters

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