Entry Word: negligence

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 failure to take the care that a cautious person usually takes <exhibiting his usual negligence, he failed to set the emergency brake, and the car rolled down the steep hill and crashed into the telephone pole>

Synonyms carelessness, dereliction, heedlessness, incautiousness, laxness, remissness, slackness

Related Words foolhardiness, rashness, recklessness, wildness; neglect, omission; delinquency, irresponsibility, malfeasance, malpractice, misconduct; misdirection, mishandling, mismanagement; forgetfulness, inattention, inattentiveness, obliviousness, shortsightedness, unwariness

Near Antonyms alertness, attention, attentiveness, awareness; circumspection, observance, vigilance, watchfulness; responsibility, responsibleness

Antonyms care, carefulness, caution, cautiousness, heedfulness

2 the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action <the factoryʼs owners are being charged with criminal negligence for the fire that killed a dozen workers> — see failure 1