neglect

1 of 2

verb

ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt 

neglected; neglecting; neglects

transitive verb

1

: to give little attention or respect to : disregard

The building has been neglected for years.

2

: to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness

The prison guard neglected his duty.

neglecter noun

neglect

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act or instance of neglecting something

2

: the condition of being neglected

Synonyms

Verb

• bypass
• disregard
• forget
• ignore
• overlook
• overpass
• pass over
• slight
• slur (over)

Noun

• desolation
• dilapidation
• disrepair
• seediness

Choose the Right Synonym for neglect

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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The New York Times has not neglected coverage of the IRA, either, and business outlets like Bloomberg and Axios have been even more informative on its climate and economic implications. —Liza Featherstone, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2023

Additional clips show three non-Black stylists tugging and damaging her hair at the last minute, after she had been neglected in getting prepared. —Danielle Wright, Essence, 14 Sep. 2023

The other problem is that manufacturers can neglect to sell the necessary repair parts to fix broken Chromebooks, according to a study from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 14 Sep. 2023

Steinhauser tells the New York Times that the boars’ habit of eating deer truffles, which are neglected by other animals, could be part of the reason why. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023

New York City’s pension funds sued the Fox Corp. and its board on Tuesday, accusing the company of neglecting its duty to shareholders by opening itself up to defamation lawsuits from the persistent broadcasting of falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election. —Katie Robertson, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023

Despite the busy cluster of Black businesses, city leaders declared the community neglected and run-down. —Louis Hansen, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2023

Gas flares from oil wells neglected by PDVSA, the state oil company, emit light and send huge quantities of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. —Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2023

Regrettably, for those of that perspective, neglected wounds worsen. —Gerald Nesmith, Essence, 1 Sep. 2023

Noun

Supporters at the time said the legislation was intentionally vague, so police and prosecutors could evaluate possible situations of neglect on a case-by-case basis. —Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023

Documenting abuse and neglect of residents, the reporting also showed how staff had covered up their actions and continued to work with relative impunity. —ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2023

The pair meet again when the young woman, infuriated by the municipal’s neglect, runs against Pierre in the next mayoral election. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023

This one plant thrived on neglect, refusing any act of horticultural discipline and doubling in size each year. —Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023

She has been charged with felony child neglect, a class four felony, and animal cruelty, a class one misdemeanor. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2023

In Lisa’s case, her neglect finding appeared on a background check months later, costing her a promising new job. —Elizabeth Koh, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023

In its state of disrepair, the building at the foot of the Sundown base encapsulates the condition of the resort after nearly a decade of neglect — at least In Reed Hastings’ eyes. —Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023

Taylor pleaded guilty to a felony count of child neglect as part of a deal with prosecutors in state court in August. —Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Verb

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing neglect

• benign neglect

• benign neglect

Kids Definition

neglect

1 of 2 verb

ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt 

1

: to give little attention or respect to

neglected their garden

2

: to leave undone or not attended to especially through carelessness

don't neglect to feed the fish

neglecter noun

neglect

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of neglecting something

his neglect of important responsibilities

2

: the condition of being neglected

the stone wall was collapsing from years of neglect

Legal Definition

neglect

noun

ne·​glect

: a disregard of duty resulting from carelessness, indifference, or willfulness

especially : a failure to provide a child under one's care with proper food, clothing, shelter, supervision, medical care, or emotional stability compare abuse sense 2, negligence

neglect transitive verb

neglectful adjective