1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dereliction
Ernst charged public employees with widespread absenteeism and dereliction of duty.
—
Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Amid this strangulation, Californication, and dereliction, Governor Moore loudly proclaims that the solution is growth.
—John Teichert, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
Lawmakers diagnosed that the principal government dereliction had been the failure to ensure that intelligence was shared across agencies.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Mar. 2025
Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers.
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Amid this strangulation, Californication, and dereliction, Governor Moore loudly proclaims that the solution is growth.
—John Teichert, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
Lawmakers diagnosed that the principal government dereliction had been the failure to ensure that intelligence was shared across agencies.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Mar. 2025
Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers.
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
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The parent author is a person whose actions are often not propelled by the self but the baby, a being whose influence on language seems to be one of frequent interruption or even abandonment.—
Ellyn Gaydos
August 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
-
After decades of abandonment and decay, the historic complex of Rockville mills in the northern end of Vernon soon could be getting closer to restorations as part of a 214-unit apartment complex along with shops, a restaurant and small businesses.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The suit alleged wrongful detention, false arrest, battery and excessive force against the San Diego police officers who arrested and transported Hartsfield, and negligence against the unidentified sheriff’s employees who allegedly shared his booking photo with his co-worker.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
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Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott and the city’s council filed the first major lawsuit against the duo a month after the accident took place, alleging criminal negligence.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Her charges include one count of child neglect, three counts of felony animal neglect and four counts of misdemeanor animal neglect, and her bond is set at $36,000.—
Elizabeth Pritchett,
FOXNews.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The toddler’s foster father, Brian Dalton, was arrested and charged with child abuse and neglect, as well as involuntary manslaughter, according to information provided by the Amherst County Sheriff's Office.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Kindness may sound like a luxury in today’s high-takes, deliver-faster, do more with less, margin-tighter world—or worse, weakness.—
Jason Walker PsyD,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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German fashion house Hugo Boss posted a better-than-feared dip in second quarter sales and maintained its full-year guidance, despite flagging weakness in the key Chinese market.—
Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Both offenses carry severe penalties under Russian law—desertion is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, while voluntary surrender can result in a sentence of 10 to 15 years.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Apr. 2025
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It has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America's Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Don’t point to things with chopsticks or commit the double-dipping sin of taking food from a common plate with chopsticks that have been in your mouth.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Aug. 2025
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The water is meant to show thanks to god, or provide spiritual relief, including purifying the devotee’s soul of sin.—
Aishwarya S. Iyer,
CNN Money,
25 July 2025
Noun
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Interestingly, such behavior was observed even when participants knew they were being observed or recorded, showcasing how deep-seated the self-serving bias is with regard to owning fault and accepting responsibility.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Although there is often consensus among critics of the health-care system about its numerous faults, approaching the central issue of profiting from illness is virtually avoided.—
David Marks,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Its digital failings look even more stark by comparison.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
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Woodland, who had surgery in September 2023 to remove a brain tumor, remains optimistic about his future in golf despite his failing to qualify for the playoffs.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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