negligent

[ neg-li-juhnt ]

/ ˈnɛg lɪ dʒənt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR negligent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

guilty of or characterized by neglect, as of duty: negligent officials.

lazily careless; offhand: a negligent wave of his manicured hand.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of negligent

1350–1400; Middle English, variant of necligent < Latin negligent-, necligent-, stem of negligēns, present participle of negligere, variant of neglegere to neglect; see -ent

SYNONYMS FOR negligent

1. neglectful.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR negligent ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

neg·li·gent·ly, adverbnon·neg·li·gent, adjectivenon·neg·li·gent·ly, adverbo·ver·neg·li·gent, adjective

o·ver·neg·li·gent·ly, adverbpre·neg·li·gent, adjectivequa·si-neg·li·gent, adjectivesu·per·neg·li·gent, adjectivesu·per·neg·li·gent·ly, adverbun·neg·li·gent, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for negligent

Was it negligent for the police to fail to consider the two crimes in context?
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But their action just proved another confounding piece of this negligent puzzle.
Westgate's Chilling Security Video Reveals Shopping Mall Bloodbath|Nina Strochlic|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a negligent accident that cost more than 30 lives, including a salvage diver who perished working on the wreck.
The Racism of Disaster Coverage|Barbie Latza Nadeau|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Requiring licenses and negligent discharge insurance would be part of common sense reform.
A Former Navy Firearms Instructor and Proud Gun Owner On Why We Need Common Sense Gun Control|Shawn VanDiver|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

AEG was found not liable—not negligent in the death of Michael Jackson.
Sorry, Mrs. Jackson: How the King of Pop’s Mother Lost Her Billion-Dollar Lawsuit|Diane Dimond|October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
We wondered at the unwise and negligent arrangements of our corpulent commander.
Ten years in the ranks, U.S. army|Augustus Meyers
That we are sensible of the greatness of our sin and loss, in our negligent or wilful losing so much as we have done already.
A Christian Directory (Volume 1 of 4)|Richard Baxter
The manager also makes the deductions from the pay of the workmen whom the foreman has noted as negligent.
De Re Metallica|Georgius Agricola
Give sorrow to the negligent; give fervour of spirit to the lukewarm.
Prayers of the Early Church|Various
He is not satisfied unless the worshippers fulfil their duties exactly; he punishes those who are negligent.
The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life|Emile Durkheim

British Dictionary definitions for negligent

negligent

/ (ˈnɛɡlɪdʒənt) /

adjective

habitually neglecting duties, responsibilities, etc; lacking attention, care, or concern; neglectful

careless or nonchalant

Derived Formsnegligently, adverb

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 negligent

negligent

adj.

late 14c., from Old French negligent "careless, negligent" (13c.) or directly from Latin negligentem "heedless, careless, unconcerned" (see negligence). Related: Negligently.