negligence
Americannoun
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the quality, fact, or result of being negligent; neglect.
negligence in discharging one's responsibilities.
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an instance of being negligent.
a downfall brought about by many negligences.
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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
noun
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the state or quality of being negligent
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a negligent act
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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
Synonym Usage
See neglect.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of negligence
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, variant of necligence, from Latin necligentia; see negligent, -ence
Explanation
When you are careless or reckless and you don’t take care of a person, object or situation like you ought to, you are practicing negligence. "Her negligence of the house resulted in its being condemned by the city." The noun negligence comes from a Latin word that means “carelessness.” Negligence can come in many forms: negligence of one's children can lead to foster care, negligence while driving can cause fatal accidents, negligence of work can lead to the loss of a job, and negligence of nutrition can cause health problems. There is culpability in negligence. Negligence is when one neglects to do things that should be done, and there are usually consequences.
Vocabulary lists containing negligence
The Things They Carried
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Fever 1793
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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.
And in 2023, Gwyneth Paltrow was awarded $1 in a countersuit after retired optometrist Terry Sanderson sued the actor and Goop mogul for negligence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
The world’s largest cold-storage operator claims negligence caused a massive blaze and is seeking over $1 billion in damages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
It means A&E is now the single biggest area for clinical negligence claims in terms of number.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The bill does not change any legal standards regarding this type of legal claim and does not limit liability for damages resulting from negligence, Nemeth said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Now, in a blizzard, it seemed closer to negligence.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
