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
Supporters of the death penalty, including some groups representing victims of crime and their families, have argued that the action disregards individual judgments reached by courts and the feelings of victims’ families. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Nov. 2026 Massie has accused Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution and disregarding congressional authority over military action. — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
His actions demonstrated a profound disregard for human life and the rule of law. — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Nov. 2026 In addition, the jury found the two deputies acted with reckless disregard and awarded $10 million in punitive damages. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 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 9 Nov. 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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