negligence

negligence — noun

1. the condition or fact of failing to take proper care of someone or something tha

1.nounB2
Definition

the condition or fact of failing to take proper care of someone or something that depends on you, often resulting in problems or harm

Example

The hospital was criticised for its negligence in checking the patient's medical history before surgery.

negligence in + gerund

Aiko's negligence in locking the door led to her bicycle being stolen from the garden.

Common collocations
  • gross negligence
  • simple negligence
  • through negligence
  • due to negligence
  • an act of negligence
Synonyms
  • carelessness

    less formal and broader — refers to any lack of attention, not necessarily tied to a duty or responsibility

  • inattention

    focuses on not paying attention rather than on failing a duty; weaker in moral weight

  • dereliction

    formal and stronger — implies a serious failure of professional or moral duty

Antonyms
  • care

    the opposite quality of paying proper attention and acting responsibly

  • diligence

    formal term for steady, careful effort in performing a task

Grammar Patterns

negligence + in + verb-ing

Usage Note

Commonly followed by the preposition 'in' plus a gerund (e.g., negligence in maintaining, negligence in supervising). Gross negligence is a more severe degree used when the lack of care is extreme.

Common Mistakes

His negligence of the baby was terrible.
His neglect of the baby was terrible.
'neglect' is used for failing to look after a person or living thing; 'negligence' more often describes careless behaviour in a task or duty.

2. a situation in which a person or organisation fails to show the level of caution

2.nounB2
Definition

a situation in which a person or organisation fails to show the level of caution that any reasonable person would show in the same circumstances, especially when this failure causes injury, loss, or damage to others

Example

The court found the company guilty of negligence for failing to install safety barriers at the construction site.

legal terminology: guilty of negligence

Proving negligence in court requires showing that the defendant did not act as a reasonable person would in that situation.

Common collocations
  • contributory negligence
  • medical negligence
  • professional negligence
  • duty of care
  • negligence claim
  • negligence case
Synonyms
  • carelessness

    everyday equivalent, though less precise for legal proceedings where standards of care are formally defined

  • dereliction

    formal and weighty — suggests a serious abandonment of duty, often in a professional role

Antonyms
  • due care

    the level of attention and caution that a reasonable person would exercise in the same situation

Usage Note

Frequently used in civil lawsuits where the plaintiff must establish four elements: duty of care, breach of that duty, causation, and damages. Common legal phrases include contributory negligence, medical negligence, and professional negligence.

Common Mistakes

She was charged with ordinary negligence for driving while tired.
She was charged with criminal negligence for driving while tired.
ordinary negligence is a civil matter; 'criminal negligence' is used when the behaviour is serious enough to be treated as a crime.

Word family

  • negligent
    adjectiveB2
  • negligently
    adverbB2
  • neglect
    verbB2
  • neglect
    nounB2
  • neglected
    adjectiveB2
  • neglectful
    adjectiveC1
  • negligible
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe a failure to give proper attention, but they differ in strength and scope. Carelessness is the broadest and most neutral — it can describe anyone who is not being careful, from a child rushing through homework to a driver who overlooks a red light. Neglect carries a stronger moral weight: it implies that someone has failed to look after a person or thing they were responsible for, such as a parent neglecting a child or a landlord neglecting a building. Inattention is softer and more specific to a moment of distraction — losing focus rather than habitually failing a duty. Dereliction is the most formal and serious of the group; it is used for a deliberate or gross failure of professional or official duty, such as a soldier's dereliction of duty. In everyday speech, carelessness and neglect are the most common choices, while inattention suits brief lapses and dereliction is reserved for formal criticism or legal contexts.

carelessnessneglect ↗inattentiondereliction

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • grossly

Phrases

  • act of negligence
  • finding of negligence
  • result of negligence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Negligence comes from the Latin word 'neglegentia', meaning 'carelessness' or 'indifference'. This was formed from the verb 'neglegere' (to disregard or neglect), which itself combines 'nec' (not) and 'legere' (to pick up, choose, or gather). The word passed into English through Old French 'negligence' in the 14th century, originally carrying the general sense of lack of care. Its modern legal meaning — a failure to exercise the caution that a reasonable person would show — developed over the 17th and 18th centuries as English common law formalised standards of civil liability.