neglect

1 of 2

verb

ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt How to pronounce neglect (audio)
neglected; neglecting; neglects

transitive verb

1
: to give little attention or respect to : disregard
The building has been neglected for years.
2
: to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
The prison guard neglected his duty.
neglecter noun

neglect

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or instance of neglecting something
2
: the condition of being neglected
Choose the Right Synonym for neglect

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention.

neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

Examples of neglect in a Sentence

Verb The building has been neglected for years. The city has neglected the teacher shortage for too long. The prison guard neglected his duty. Noun The park was overgrown and littered from years of neglect. The parents were charged with child neglect. The house is in a state of neglect.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Often, serial killers have a history of trauma or neglect, according to Psychology Today. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024 They should be made to tell a story, to share a truth, to humanize those whose humanity is often neglected or denied. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 15 Mar. 2024 Use Larson Tax Relief for Best Tax Relief Service >> Common Tax Problems Tax issues encompass various problems that arise from errors made while filing taxes or neglecting to file altogether. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Records show the county paid tens of millions of dollars in additional settlements and jury awards in recent years to plaintiffs who were shot, beaten or otherwise victimized or neglected by San Diego County sheriff’s deputies. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 At the union of these disparate interests was a passionate belief that the jaw had been neglected in the world of dance and that the rest of the body had been neglected in the world of dentistry. Lauren Oyler, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 Being on the hook for a traveler who can’t find their passport or neglected to check its expiration date. Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 One voice often neglected in all this is that of the Lebanese public. Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Yet, Monteverde and co-writer Rod Barr mostly concentrate on the series of repetitive verbal confrontations and, despite the overwrought length of their project, neglect to construct a portrait of this heroine that reveals her humanity or even her relationship to God. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Alan Weir, 50, pleaded no contest Wednesday to willful neglect of duty, a one-year misdemeanor, and was sentenced to one year of probation, with a review set for March 20, 2025, according to online records in 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024 Vue's mother Katrina Baur and another man, Jesse Vang, were arrested and charged with child neglect on Feb. 21. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 As part of the agreement, 46-year-old Osborne's second count of neglect of a dependent was dismissed. Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Mar. 2024 The neglect of our laws creates the conditions whereby the world’s most desperate people put their lives and their children’s lives into the hands of the most loathsome and exploitative traffickers. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 12 Mar. 2024 Hostages who were freed reported limited rations, medical neglect and isolation during their captivity. Naomi Schanen, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The nonprofit provides shelter and medical care, helps families adopt new pets, and rescues animals from cruelty and neglect. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Richard Cruz, 32, and Jaime Pinilla Gomez, 25, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, were both charged with one count of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a news release. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Both Baur, 31, and Vang, 39, were charged with child neglect about a week after his disappearance – and they’re scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 7. Dalia Faheid, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neglect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin neglēctus, past participle of neglegere, neclegere "to disregard, do nothing about, fail to care for," from nec "not" (probably from ne- "not" + -ce, deictic element, going back to Indo-European *ḱe, *ḱi) + legere "to gather, select, read" — more at no entry 1, he entry 1, legend

Note: The Latin formative nec in this word and (with invariable voicing) in negō, negāre "to deny" (see negate) and negōtium "business, difficulty" (see negotiate) is presumably identical with Old Latin nec "not" and distinct from nec as a reduced form of neque "and not."

Noun

borrowed from Latin neglēctus, from neglegere, neclegere "to disregard, do nothing about, neglect entry 1" + -tus, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

Verb

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of neglect was in 1529

Dictionary Entries Near neglect

Cite this Entry

“Neglect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neglect. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

neglect

1 of 2 verb
ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt How to pronounce neglect (audio)
1
: to give little attention or respect to
neglected their garden
2
: to leave undone or not attended to especially through carelessness
don't neglect to feed the fish
neglecter noun

neglect

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act or instance of neglecting something
his neglect of important responsibilities
2
: the condition of being neglected
the stone wall was collapsing from years of neglect

Legal Definition

neglect

noun
ne·​glect
: a disregard of duty resulting from carelessness, indifference, or willfulness
especially : a failure to provide a child under one's care with proper food, clothing, shelter, supervision, medical care, or emotional stability compare abuse sense 2, negligence
neglect transitive verb
neglectful adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on neglect

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