1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in negligence
failure to take the care that a cautious person usually takes
the ski area was not held responsible for the injury on account of the skier's own manifest dereliction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in neglect
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
both sentries were to be court-martialed for dereliction of duty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in weakness
a defect in character
believes that society is guilty of a moral dereliction if it does not care for those unable to care for themselves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dereliction
Central Park, after sliding into dereliction through the 1970s, now tends to itself, thanks to a private conservancy, wealthy neighbors, and its superstar status.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Sep. 2025
Three Army Reserve leaders were disciplined for dereliction of duty.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
There are consequences for dereliction of duty.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
There are consequences for dereliction of duty.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 9 Sep. 2025
Three Army Reserve leaders were disciplined for dereliction of duty.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
There are consequences for dereliction of duty.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
There are consequences for dereliction of duty.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
-
Some 64 years later, the development is officially coming down, following years of decay, neglect and abandonment.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the legislature should act on the report’s recommendations with actions to strengthen reporting, enforce existing laws, prevent further abandonment of wells and ensure polluters pay for cleanup.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
She is survived by her father, husband and two children, who are suing the Dollar Tree corporation and the store’s manager for $50 million, alleging negligence and unsafe conditions.—
Devoun Cetoute,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
-
So far, Gray is the only parent in such a case to face second-degree murder charges, a result of a recent Georgia law that made negligence a factor that could lead to murder charges.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Paxton’s near decade of abuse of the office and neglect of its fundamental responsibilities has caused extensive damage that will take time and good leadership to repair and rebuild.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Our infrastructure has failed to meet the demands of rapid expansion, as evidenced by the 12-year neglect of Eastland, which resulted in job losses and decreased tax revenue.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But some analysts say Iran's unprecedented weakness at home could diminish the flexibility of its country's leadership to make the kinds of compromises necessary for a deal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
-
But ask anyone who knows him about Kuechly’s weaknesses, and the first thing that might come up is his deflection of praise.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wide-scale desertions and 2 million draft dodgers are among a raft of challenges for Ukraine, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said last month.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Eddie Slovik was executed by a firing squad for desertion, the first American soldier since the Civil War to be executed in such a manner and the only soldier in World War II to receive such a punishment.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But does exchanging flirty messages with Ghislaine Maxwell while he was married three years before Jeffrey Epstein was first publicly accused of wrongdoing in 2006 really constitute a career-ending sin?—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus Christ's victory over sin and death through his resurrection.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When a vehicle loses power, however, electronic doors go from an inconvenience to a potentially lethal design fault.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
-
When the tectonic plates began to pull apart millions of years later, those ancient faults at their edges reawakened, reincarnated as transform faults.—
Evan Howell,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The report claimed these changes were made to minimize the city and fire department’s failings.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Foster acknowledged state efforts to hold the district accountable have at times been justified, including in 2023 when TEA investigated chronic failings in the district’s special education department.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
