dereliction

noun

der·​e·​lic·​tion ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən 

ˌde-rə-

1

a

: an intentional abandonment

b

: the state of being abandoned

2

: a recession of water leaving permanently dry land

3

a

: intentional or conscious neglect : delinquency

dereliction of duty

b

: fault, shortcoming

Synonyms

• abandonment
• desertion
• forsaking

Examples of dereliction in a Sentence

the dereliction of a cause by its leaders

The officer was formally charged with dereliction of duty.

a serious dereliction of duty

Recent Examples on the Web

Already insurance carriers are cancelling homeowner policies and doubling or more the premiums on many others as one consequence of our city government’s dereliction. —U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for dereliction

• antifriction
• benediction
• contradiction
• crucifixion
• interdiction
• jurisdiction
• malediction
• addiction
• affliction
• constriction
• conviction
• depiction

Kids Definition

dereliction

noun

der·​e·​lic·​tion ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən 

1

: the act of abandoning : the state of being abandoned

the dereliction of a cause by its leaders

2

: neglect of one's duty

Legal Definition

dereliction

noun

der·​e·​lic·​tion ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən 

1

a

: an intentional abandonment

b

: a state of being abandoned

2

: a recession of water leaving permanently dry land

3

: an intentional or conscious neglect

dereliction of duty