neglect

1 of 2

verb

ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt How to pronounce neglect (audio)
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
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
One voice often neglected in all this is that of the Lebanese public. Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Yet, Monteverde and co-writer Rod Barr mostly concentrate on the series of repetitive verbal confrontations and, despite the overwrought length of their project, neglect to construct a portrait of this heroine that reveals her humanity or even her relationship to God. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Gaston Group also neglected to keep accurate records as stipulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the release. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024 Carolyn disputed claims from the book that Bob had neglected or shunned Desi. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 And plots and spots for people of color, if not barred outright, were pushed to the margins and neglected. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Baur is charged with being a party to the crime of neglecting a child and two counts of obstructing an officer. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 Don’t neglect your local market for networking opportunities, both personally and professionally. Laura Decarlo, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 This starts off your sumo practice with pushing, which is usually neglected in sumo practice in the United States. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
The funds will specifically help families who are reported to the Child and Family Services Agency but do not meet the criteria for an investigation of child abuse or neglect. Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 In the time since the Musgraves were taken into custody Friday night and early Saturday, another staff member was jailed on allegations of abuse or neglect of a child. Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 Vang was also arrested on a charge of child neglect, per online court records. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 The hope is that these developments will not only improve care, but also foment faith that, even after decades of neglect, change is possible – particularly among the 57% of Native American veterans who say their top reason for joining the military was a desire to serve their country. Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2024 He was charged with one count of first degree reckless homicide, three counts of chronic neglect of a child and one count of failure to report the death of a child, per court records. Elizabeth Maline, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Young Chicano activists walked out of high schools and staged marches demanding political representation and an end to civic neglect of the Eastside. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Harmony was legally removed from her mother’s care and placed in a foster home shortly after the reports of neglect, the report said. Nicki Brown and Nic F. Anderson, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 After all, a proactive approach today can save you from the costly consequences of neglect tomorrow. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neglect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of neglect was in 1529

Dictionary Entries Near neglect

Cite this Entry

“Neglect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neglect. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

neglect

1 of 2 verb
ne·​glect ni-ˈglekt How to pronounce neglect (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on neglect

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