neglect

1 of 2

verb

ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• bypass
• disregard
• forget
• ignore
• overlook
• overpass
• pass over
• slight
• slur (over)

Noun

• desolation
• dilapidation
• disrepair
• seediness

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

His base, mainly white, working-class and feeling neglected and forgotten by Washington, views him as a victim of a witch hunt. —Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

McClure pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent in May 2020 stemming from a December 2018 case while McClure and her children lived in Mooresville. —Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024

What has attracted me to this community is understanding that there’s a certain population here that has been neglected. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024

Decades of neglecting the muscles in the arch, the stretch of our Achilles, and the flexibility of our toes mean that our feet have a lot of relearning to do. —Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024

The mother of the 6-year-old boy, Deja Taylor, was sentenced in December to two years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child neglect. —Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024

And problems become grievances if they are neglected. —Richard V. Reeves, TIME, 6 Apr. 2024

The agency had neglected to include students’ reported savings and investments, which could have led colleges to offer more money than students were entitled to receive. —Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024

Samantha Wishman, 32, is facing charges of first-degree reckless homicide and neglecting a child, after the boy died on June 15, 2023. —Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024

Noun

The toddler died of starvation and severe dehydration from pediatric neglect, Dr. Elizabeth Mooney, the deputy Cuyahoga County medical examiner, said in court Monday, NBC News reports. —Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

Both were charged with neglect and obstruction of justice, and Anderson was additionally charged with murder. —The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024

Bortz restored the roadster from its years of neglect, but left the sedan in junkyard condition as testimony to the neglect many historic show cars endured. —Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024

In their report, state investigators cited Brookdale’s failure to properly supervise Walker and the facility’s slow response time as evidence of neglect. —Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024

The ballooning problem came to a head earlier his year when the George F. Haines International Swim Center — a storied facility widely considered to be Santa Clara’s crown jewel — closed over safety concerns following decades of neglect. —Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024

His parents missed several medical appointments, prompting Kaiser Permanente to alert L.A. County’s child abuse hotline of possible neglect. —Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

Decades of legislative neglect As far back as 30 years ago, Idaho legislators were confronted with the state’s deteriorating schools. —Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 27 Mar. 2024

Elijah's mother and her boyfriend have been charged Elijah’s mother, Katerina Baur, 31, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, 39, have been charged in connection with felony child neglect, according to previous USA TODAY reporting. —Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing neglect

• benign neglect

Kids Definition

neglect

1 of 2 verb

ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt 

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