Definition of NEGLECT

Choose the Right Synonym for neglect

Verb

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 However, while public sector leaders who neglect the imperative of addressing issues that the SDGs seek to mitigate can be held accountable at the ballot box, those in the private sector have traditionally not had the same level of scrutiny. — Fiona Reynolds, Fortune, "Big investors, we can’t fight poverty or protect the planet without you," 10 July 2020 Former staff with qualms about Project Chimps say insufficient preventative cardiac care there is tantamount to neglect. — Greg Kahn, National Geographic, "Sanctuary for retired lab chimps embroiled in dispute over quality of its care," 8 July 2020 Social activists have complained that the profitability of jade mining has led businesses and the government to neglect enforcement of already very weak regulations in the jade mining industry. — BostonGlobe.com, "Landslide at Myanmar jade mine kills at least 162 people," 2 July 2020 Social activists have complained that the profitability of jade mining has led businesses and the government to neglect enforcement of already weak regulations in the industry. — Washington Post, "World Digest: July 2, 2020," 2 July 2020 As Ohio’s dedicated and sole public funding source for child abuse and neglect prevention, the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund (OCTF) is well equipped to help families dealing with change and uncertainty. — John Benson, cleveland, "Tips for parents helping their children dealing with pandemic anxiety," 24 June 2020 In her detailed ruling, Chanti delved into the harrowing abuse and neglect that marked Kirkpatrick’s childhood and its effecton his conduct. — oregonlive, "Teen killer’s immaturity meant his case stayed in Oregon’s Juvenile Court, confidential opinion shows," 19 June 2020 For all its talk of swamp-draining, the Trump administration has had no serious idea of what to do with the institutions of scientific inquiry other than neglect them. — Ari Schulman, The New Republic, "The Coronavirus and the Right’s Scientific Counterrevolution," 15 June 2020 More than 80 lawsuits have been filed accusing his government of manslaughter, neglect or otherwise mishandling the virus crisis. — Time, "French President Emmanuel Macron Publicly Disavows Racism but Says Colonial-Era Statues Will Stay," 14 June 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun She has been imprisoned alongside her husband for six months and endured deliberate medical neglect while at heightened risk of contracting Covid-19 due to overcrowding and inhumane conditions in Egypt’s prisons. — Wired Staff, Wired, "One Free Press Coalition Spotlights Journalists Under Attack," 1 July 2020 She has been imprisoned alongside her husband for six months and endured deliberate medical neglect while at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 due to overcrowding and inhumane conditions in Egypt’s prisons. — Lydia Belanger, Fortune, "These 10 journalists are among countless under attack for seeking the truth," 1 July 2020 Before then, visits between children and their parents separated due to allegations of neglect and abuse had been on a nearly three-month hiatus. — Mary Jo Pitzl, azcentral, "DCS says kids can have virtual visits with mom and dad to protect against virus spread," 1 July 2020 The justices ruled 5-4 that Congress impinged too much on presidential authority by requiring that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's director can be removed only because of inefficiency, neglect or malfeasance. — Richard Wolf, USA TODAY, "Supreme Court strikes down consumer agency's autonomy in win for Trump administration," 29 June 2020 Participants complain about its anti-Semitism, neglect of the north and economic incompetence, along with its positions on Brexit and immigration. — The Economist, "Labour’s leader Keir Starmer needs to change the Labour Party," 27 June 2020 But from inside Angola’s walls, inmates painted a very different picture — one of widespread illness, dysfunctional care and sometimes inexplicable neglect. — Tim Golden, ProPublica, "Inside the U.S.’s Largest Maximum-Security Prison, COVID-19 Raged. Outside, Officials Called Their Fight a Success.," 24 June 2020 Given the inherently more stressful environment of a rooftop garden, Oudolf selected plants that were tough and could take neglect, and his planting design was always meant to ebb and flow as specific plants seeded and spread. — Washington Post, "The High Line has been sidelined. When it reopens, New Yorkers may get the park they always wanted.," 24 June 2020 How much will Cuyahoga County taxpayers pay for the county’s neglect of Aniya Day-Garrett’s father, who accused the county of failing to protect the 4-year-old girl against abuse that led to her death? — Laura Johnston, cleveland, "Ohio coronavirus cases are suddenly surging: This Week in the CLE," 23 June 2020

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

History and Etymology for neglect

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

Learn More about neglect

Dictionary Entries near neglect

Statistics for neglect

Last Updated

15 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Neglect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neglect. Accessed 15 Jul. 2020.

Choose the Right Synonym for neglect

Verb

neglect and disregard mean to pass over something without giving it any or enough attention. neglect is used when a person does not give, whether deliberately or not, enough attention to something that deserves or requires attention. You have been neglecting your homework. disregard is used for deliberately overlooking something usually because it is not considered worth noticing. He disregarded the “keep out” sign.