1
as in neglectfulness
failure to take the care that a cautious person usually takes
exhibiting his usual negligence, he failed to set the emergency brake, and the car rolled down the steep hill and crashed into the telephone pole
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in neglect
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
the factory's owners are being charged with criminal negligence for the fire that killed a dozen workers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of negligence
The judge wrote that because Epstein’s abuse ended no later than his death in prison in 2019, the window for negligence claims had closed by the time the suit was filed in 2025.
—
Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
The parents of the three Miami Yacht Club summer campers who were killed last summer when a 60-foot barge slammed into their sailboat sued the company that owns the barge, alleging negligence and irresponsible hiring.
—Milena Malaver, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
All were caused by human activity, whether through arson or negligence.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
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, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for negligence
Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
The parents of the three Miami Yacht Club summer campers who were killed last summer when a 60-foot barge slammed into their sailboat sued the company that owns the barge, alleging negligence and irresponsible hiring.
—Milena Malaver, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
All were caused by human activity, whether through arson or negligence.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
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, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for negligence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negligence
Noun
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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
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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
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Someone gets hurt, the cause points toward another person’s carelessness, and suddenly, the situation becomes legal instead of just painful.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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Coach Sean Miller will focus on his team's carelessness with the ball at half; Texas has nine turnovers compared to two for Auburn.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Chatham County Police Department is investigating the crash and has charged Vasquez Lopez with reckless driving, driving without a valid license, failure to obey a traffic control device, and first-degree homicide by vehicle, the agency shared online.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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As such, a cybersecurity failure in the F-35 program would be a serious breach that could jeopardize the integrity of planned and upcoming missions.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Both Opus and Sonnet can navigate applications, fill out forms and work across platforms with minimal oversight.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2026
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The bill wouldn’t legalize the practice or set up an oversight structure regulating it, as the state did with marijuana and Nevada has done with prostitution in several counties.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For the violations and drawing the default order, the commission sanctioned Montano by turning the 2022 suspension into an indefinite suspension that’s dated April 9, 2024.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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Profit payouts are monthly by default, but can be upgraded to faster weekly or bi-weekly schedules.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Negligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negligence. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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