disregard

1 of 2

verb

disregarded; disregarding; disregards
Synonyms of disregard

transitive verb

: to pay no attention to : treat as unworthy of regard or notice
Please disregard what I said in my last email.
He disregarded her advice.

disregard

2 of 2

noun

: the act of treating someone or something as unworthy of regard or notice : the state of being disregarded (see disregard entry 1) : neglect
showed a complete disregard for the rules
Choose the Right Synonym for disregard

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 disregard in a Sentence

Verb Please disregard what I said before. He disregarded his father's advice and left school. Some students completely disregard the rules of the school. Noun They treated the rules with complete disregard. revelers firing guns in the air with complete disregard for the possible consequences
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Senate Bill 968, signed into law by the governor, disregarded the 2028 sunset date for the Free College pilot program. Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 People in rural communities in many states — Illinois and Colorado, plus California and others — do not just think their voices are being disregarded. Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Noun
Emily questions such disregard for men, but eventually accepts it as part of the pact to prioritize herself and her newfound sorority. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 20 July 2026 Garbrandt walked into the same counters that have ended his last several bad nights, and Yanez, who fights with his own reckless disregard for return fire, simply landed first and landed cleaner. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disregard

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1613, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disregard was in 1613

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disregard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disregard. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

disregard

1 of 2 verb
: to pay no attention to : treat as unworthy of regard or notice

disregard

2 of 2 noun
: the act of disregarding : the state of being disregarded

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