dereliction
noun
der·e·lic·tion
ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən 
ˌde-rə-
1
a
: an intentional abandonment
b
: the state of being abandoned
2
: a recession of water leaving permanently dry land
3
a
: intentional or conscious neglect : delinquency
dereliction of duty
b
: fault, shortcoming
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
This dereliction of duty from the current head of the office is costing the county tens of millions of dollars in lost interest.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
From an ideological standpoint, the new flag was introduced at the exact time the citizens of this state were just getting a grip on the outrageously incompetent management of the state’s money, dereliction that allowed billions of their tax dollars to be lost to fraud.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
The firing of the deputy mayor signals to us a dereliction of duty.
—Michael Pfleger, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
On Friday, the regular session ended with no action on a state budget, a dereliction of duty that’s becoming increasingly common.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
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Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
From an ideological standpoint, the new flag was introduced at the exact time the citizens of this state were just getting a grip on the outrageously incompetent management of the state’s money, dereliction that allowed billions of their tax dollars to be lost to fraud.
—Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
The firing of the deputy mayor signals to us a dereliction of duty.
—Michael Pfleger, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
On Friday, the regular session ended with no action on a state budget, a dereliction of duty that’s becoming increasingly common.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dereliction. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dereliction
noun
der·e·lic·tion
ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən
1
: the act of abandoning : the state of being abandoned
the dereliction of a cause by its leaders
2
: neglect of one's duty
Legal Definition
dereliction
noun
der·e·lic·tion
ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən
1
a
: an intentional abandonment
b
: a state of being abandoned
2
: a recession of water leaving permanently dry land
3
: an intentional or conscious neglect
dereliction of duty
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