disregard
Americanverb (used with object)
-
disregards,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disregarded,
past participle, past
-
disregarding
present participle
noun
-
lack of regard or attention; neglect.
- Synonyms:
- oversight, inattention
-
lack of due or respectful regard.
- Synonyms:
- slight, disrespect
verb
-
to give little or no attention to; ignore
-
to treat as unworthy of consideration or respect
noun
-
lack of attention or respect
-
(often plural) social welfare capital or income which is not counted in calculating the amount payable to a claimant for a means-tested benefit
Synonym Usage
See slight.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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disregardernoun
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disregardfulnessnoun
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disregardableadjective
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disregardfuladjective
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disregardfullyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
disregardsimple
-
disregardssimple
-
have disregardedperfect
-
has disregardedperfect
-
am disregardingprogressive
-
are disregardingprogressive
-
is disregardingprogressive
-
have been disregardingperfect progressive
-
has been disregardingperfect progressive
Past
-
disregardedsimple
-
had disregardedperfect
-
was disregardingprogressive
-
were disregardingprogressive
-
had been disregardingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disregard
Explanation
If everyone at the city council meeting tends to disregard anything that's said by the eccentric gentleman with the parrot on his shoulder, it means that no one pays any attention to him. To disregard something is to ignore it, or to deliberately pay it no attention. Sometimes the word is used to mean "neglect," implying that something important is not being taken care of. Disregard can also be a noun; you could complain that your family has a complete disregard for your privacy when they gather outside your bedroom door to eavesdrop on your telephone conversations.
Vocabulary lists containing disregard
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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Purple Hibiscus
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The Boy Who Invented TV
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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.
See Examples For:
“But we think such a move would show a disregard for the importance of the sector to the U.K. economy, the global competitiveness of London, and frankly, fairness,” Jefferies says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
He wrote that while the court "does not seek to minimise or disregard the pain" felt, the injuries "do not qualify as disabilities" under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Only after we accept that Nolan is solely interested in human mistakes can we gauge his disregard for the Greek gods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
But it does challenge one of the most persistent messages behind that culture: that men who embrace domination and disregard for women can continue winning without consequences.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Returning to the tree he was blinded by the dryad, who was angry at the disregard of her words and the injury to her messenger.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
The Seneca Nation is calling on President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” arguing that the move disregards centuries of Indigenous history and the United States’ treaty obligations.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Hims & Hers said the suit disregards evidence it provided the FTC during the investigation and ignores industry standards in telehealth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Greater Manchester Police said the crash on Manchester's Kingsway was "one of the worst disregards of speeding" officers had seen.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
“This plan disregards the deeply held values of many Catalina residents and visitors,” Hahn said in a Jan. 26 letter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026
The law says the penalty is harsher if someone should have known of the risks and harsher still—manslaughter—if the person does know the risks and wantonly disregards them.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
He also spoke of the failures of his and his wider team, specifically referencing a doctor who disregarded blood test results that suggested a baby had been poisoned with insulin in August 2015.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Their concerns were disregarded, prompting most to resign.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Manuel’s deputy sent Churnside at least two formal warning letters, and Manuel himself was notified that Churnside disregarded trainers’ medical advice, the firm said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
She said that an expert for the prosecution conceded that point and that the data from Grossman’s Mercedes had anomalies and should be disregarded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
When she decided to become a dancer at seventeen, she disregarded all conventional wisdom, which preached that dancers must begin their training as young children.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
The changes also help to assuage potential anxiety operators might have felt about disregarding state and local laws and the lawsuits that result from that disregard for the law.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
Responding, Sir Keir accused Farage of disregarding pleas from Nowak's family that his death should not be used to stoke division in society.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Charles Rivkin, the chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Association, called on ByteDance to "immediately cease its infringing activity," accusing it of disregarding copyright law that protects creators and underpins millions of jobs.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
At the same time, Daly indicated the Fed cannot loosen policy to the point of disregarding its inflation target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
There would be no disregarding this sound, which seems designed to throw the whole population into a frenzy.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
