dereliction

noun

der·e·lic·tion | \ ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən

, ˌde-rə-\

Definition of dereliction

1a : an intentional abandonment

b : the state of being abandoned

2 : a recession of water leaving permanently dry land

3a : intentional or conscious neglect : delinquency dereliction of duty

b : fault, shortcoming

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dereliction

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Synonyms & Antonyms for dereliction

Synonyms

abandonment, desertion, forsaking

Antonyms

reclamation

Examples of dereliction in a Sentence

the dereliction of a cause by its leaders The officer was formally charged with dereliction of duty. a serious dereliction of duty

Recent Examples on the Web

The loss of Pavarotti to stadium events didn’t just feel like an affront, but a dereliction of duty. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, "Even opera lovers should grit their teeth and watch this mediocre Pavarotti film," 6 June 2019 This imperial 17th- and 18th-century palace, with its famed ballroom frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, had fallen into dereliction by the mid 20th century, when it was bought by the deep-pocketed aesthete Carlos de Bestegui. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Peter Marino and the Venetian Heritage Hosted a Gilded Dinner to Celebrate All Things Venice," 10 Apr. 2019 The ship’s commanding officer and tactical action officer face charges of negligent dereliction of duty. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Secret Probe Into USS Fitzgerald Disaster Revealed a Ship in Appalling Shape," 14 Jan. 2019 The result can look like executive overreach and judicial activism, but the root of the problem is legislative dereliction. — Yuval Levin, WSJ, "‘Judicial Fortitude’ Review: Time for Congress to Do Its Job," 2 Jan. 2019 And that has been a huge dereliction on the part of America's elites. — Fox News, "Tucker takes on Kavanaugh opponent; Martha MacCallum's takeaways from interview with Kavanaugh," 25 Sep. 2018 Such ignorance would signify a dereliction of your duty as the head of the FCC, particularly due to the severity of the allegations and the blatant lack of evidence. — Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "Ajit Pai grilled by lawmakers on why FCC spread “myth” of DDoS attack," 14 Aug. 2018 Sanchez pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty on May 25, 2018, after negligent homicide charges were dropped. — Jasmine Khayami And Elizabeth Strassner, USA TODAY, "Collisions reveal a Navy tragically undone by its can-do spirit," 25 June 2018 Combs faces court-martial on charges of negligent dereliction of duty resulting in death and negligent hazarding of a vessel, according to a Navy statement. — Jasmine Khayami And Elizabeth Strassner, USA TODAY, "Collisions reveal a Navy tragically undone by its can-do spirit," 25 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dereliction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.