Definition of neglect - Merriam-Webster

neglect is used when a person does not give, whether deliberately or not, enough attention to something that deserves or requires attention. You have been ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut neglect verb SaveWord ne·​glect |\ni-ˈglekt \ neglected;neglecting;neglects Definitionofneglect (Entry1of2) transitiveverb 1 :togivelittleattentionorrespectto:disregard Thebuildinghasbeenneglectedforyears. 2 :toleaveundoneorunattendedtoespeciallythroughcarelessness Theprisonguardneglectedhisduty. neglect noun Definitionofneglect (Entry2of2) 1 :anactorinstanceofneglectingsomething 2 :theconditionofbeingneglected OtherWordsfromneglect Synonyms&Antonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutneglect OtherWordsfromneglect Verb neglecter noun Synonyms&Antonymsforneglect Synonyms:Verb bypass, disregard, forget, ignore, overlook, overpass, passover, slight, slur(over) Synonyms:Noun desolation, dilapidation, disrepair, seediness Antonyms:Verb attend(to), heed, mind, regard, tend(to) Antonyms:Noun keeping, repair VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforneglect Verb neglect,disregard,ignore,overlook,slight,forgetmeantopassoverwithoutgivingdueattention.neglectimpliesgivinginsufficientattentiontosomethingthatmeritsone'sattention. habituallyneglectedhisstudies disregardsuggestsvoluntaryinattention. disregardedthewishesofhisfamily ignoreimpliesafailuretoregardsomethingobvious. ignoredthesnideremark overlooksuggestsdisregardingorignoringthroughhasteorlackofcare. inmyrushIoverlookedakeyexample slightimpliescontemptuousordisdainfuldisregardingoromitting. slightedseveralmajorauthorsinhersurvey forgetmaysuggesteitherawillfulignoringorafailuretoimpresssomethingonone'smind. forgetwhatotherssay ExamplesofneglectinaSentence Verb Thebuildinghasbeenneglectedforyears. Thecityhasneglectedtheteachershortagefortoolong. Theprisonguardneglectedhisduty. Noun Theparkwasovergrownandlitteredfromyearsofneglect. Theparentswerechargedwithchildneglect. Thehouseisinastateofneglect. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb Theteen'smother,Seals,pleadedguiltyin2020tofelonyhomicideandchildabuseandneglectrelatedtoLarkin'sdeath. — SteveHelling,PEOPLE.com,3Nov.2021 JonesGastonalsopointstostubbornlyhighnationaloccurrencesofchildmaltreatmentanddeathsduetoabuseandneglectasevidencethattheUnitedStates’currentapproachtochildwelfareisnotworking. — oregonlive,31Oct.2021 ChildProtectiveServicesrespondstoreportsofabuseandneglectinBaltimore. — WashingtonPost,13Sep.2021 ThechildrenarerepresentedbyattorneysatIndianaDisabilityRights,KirklandandEllisandABetterChildhood,anonprofitthatadvocatesforchildrenwhoexperienceabuseandneglectwhileunderthecareofachildwelfaresystem. — HollyV.Hays,TheIndianapolisStar,27Oct.2021 VoicesforChildrenserveschildreninfostercarewhohavebeenremovedfromtheirhomesduetoabuseorneglectandneedasupportiveadultintheirlives. — SanDiegoUnion-Tribune,14Oct.2021 ManyOklahomansrememberthehorrorsrevealedintheearly1980sinvestigationsintoallegationsofchildabuseandneglectforchildreninthecustodyofthestate. — WulfJames-roby,USATODAY,11Oct.2021 Theseyoungpeopleareremovedfromtheirfamilieswhenthereisabuseorneglect,andfartoomanyareremovedforreasonsofpoverty. — Ashoka,Forbes,30Sep.2021 ChildProtectiveServicesrespondstoreportsofabuseandneglectinBaltimore. — WashingtonPost,13Sep.2021 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun MargaretVeitch,whoseparentsweretwoofthe12peoplekilledwhentheProvisionalIRAplantedabombatawarmemorialinEnniskillenin1987,saystheannouncementcapsdecadesofneglect. — NBCNews,8Nov.2021 TheBengalsdraftedBurrowfirstoverallin2020andploppedhimbehindanoffensivelinethatwascrumblingfromyearsofneglect. — NewYorkTimes,27Oct.2021 Russell,MayorGregFischertoldthecrowd,hasalottogainfromthefundingafterdecadesofneglect. — LucasAulbach,TheCourier-Journal,21Oct.2021 Thedocumentcitesthatdeathandthefailuretoprovideforthezebrasonthelooseforalmosttwomonthsasevidenceofneglect,accordingtothestation. — NBCNews,21Oct.2021 Nosingleexhibitioncanreversecenturiesofneglect. — JudithH.Dobrzynski,WSJ,9Oct.2021 Thedogshowedsignsofneglectandhadlostweightduringtheordeal,butpolicedescribedherashappyandhealthy. — MichaelHollan,FoxNews,6Oct.2021 Iveyhasadvocatedfornewprisonssincesoonaftershewaselectedtoafulltermin2018,sayingthestatecouldnolongerignoredecadesofneglect. — MikeCason|[email protected],al,3Oct.2021 Recallingthehost’slongtimeadvocacyforhealthcarefor9/11firstresponders,theepisodegathersseveralailingveteranstosharetheirhardshipsandtheirfeelingsofneglectbytheDepartmentofVeteransAffairs. — WashingtonPost,30Sep.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'neglect.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofneglect Verb 1529,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1Noun 1597,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1 HistoryandEtymologyforneglect Verb borrowedfromLatinneglēctus,pastparticipleofneglegere,neclegere"todisregard,donothingabout,failtocarefor,"fromnec"not"(probablyfromne-"not"+-ce,deicticelement,goingbacktoIndo-European*ḱe,*ḱi)+legere"togather,select,read"—moreatnoentry1,heentry1,legend Note: TheLatinformativenecinthiswordand(withinvariablevoicing)innegō,negāre"todeny"(seenegate)andnegōtium"business,difficulty"(seenegotiate)ispresumablyidenticalwithOldLatinnec"not"anddistinctfromnecasareducedformofneque"andnot." Noun borrowedfromLatinneglēctus,fromneglegere,neclegere"todisregard,donothingabout,neglectentry1"+-tus,suffixofverbalaction LearnMoreAboutneglect Shareneglect PosttheDefinitionofneglecttoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofneglectonTwitter TimeTravelerforneglect Thefirstknownuseofneglectwas in1529 Seemorewordsfromthesameyear DictionaryEntriesNearneglect Negishi neglect neglectable SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforneglect LastUpdated 13Nov2021 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Neglect.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neglect.Accessed18Nov.2021. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforneglect neglect verb EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofneglect (Entry1of2) :tofailtotakecareofortogiveattentionto(someoneorsomething) :tofailtodo(something) neglect noun EnglishLanguageLearnersDefinitionofneglect (Entry2of2) :lackofattentionorcarethatsomeoneorsomethingneeds :theconditionofnotbeingtakencareof SeethefulldefinitionforneglectintheEnglishLanguageLearnersDictionary neglect verb ne·​glect |\ni-ˈglekt \ neglected;neglecting KidsDefinitionofneglect (Entry1of2) 1 :tofailtogivetherightamountofattentionto Thepropertyhasbeenneglected. 2 :tofailtodoorlookafterespeciallybecauseofcarelessness Sheneglectedtosaygoodbye. neglect noun KidsDefinitionofneglect (Entry2of2) 1 :lackofattentionorcaretosomethingorsomeone neglectofduty 2 :thestateofnotbeinglookedafterorgivenattention Thehousesuffersfromneglect. ChoosetheRightSynonymforneglect Verb neglectanddisregardmeantopassoversomethingwithoutgivingitanyorenoughattention.neglectisusedwhenapersondoesnotgive,whetherdeliberatelyornot,enoughattentiontosomethingthatdeservesorrequiresattention. Youhavebeenneglectingyourhomework. disregardisusedfordeliberatelyoverlookingsomethingusuallybecauseitisnotconsideredworthnoticing. Hedisregardedthe"keepout"sign. neglect noun ne·​glect Legal Definitionofneglect :adisregardofdutyresultingfromcarelessness,indifference,orwillfulness especially :afailuretoprovideachildunderone'scarewithproperfood,clothing,shelter,supervision,medicalcare,oremotionalstability—compareabusesense2,negligence OtherWordsfromneglect neglect transitiveverb neglectful adjective MorefromMerriam-Websteronneglect Nglish:TranslationofneglectforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofneglectforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY amity SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! 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