negligent
adjective
Edith Hamilton
Did you know?
To be negligent is to be neglectful. Negligence is an important legal concept; it's usually defined as the failure to use the care that a normally careful person would in a given situation. Negligence is a common claim in lawsuits regarding medical malpractice, auto accidents, and workplace injuries. But you can also be negligent about answering your email, or negligent in the way you dress. (The original garment called a negligee was worn by women who had neglected to get fully dressed.) The legal meanings of negligent and negligence, however, tend to be the ones we most often encounter nowadays.
Synonyms
- careless
- derelict
- disregardful
- lax
- lazy
- neglectful
- neglecting
- remiss
- slack
Example Sentences
Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Sep. 2022 His allegations, which were the central subject of yesterday’s hearing, range from claims of lax security protocols to negligent leadership—all of which Twitter denies. WIRED, 15 Sep. 2022 McCarthy was additionally charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and negligent injury. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2022 Cyril is absent at best and negligent at worst, but his children can’t seem to distance themselves from him, often belittling their mothers’ love in the process. Meena Venkataramanan, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Haddish is also accused of negligent supervision/failure to warn, breach of fiduciary duty, and constructive fraud. Nick Romano, EW.com, 5 Sep. 2022 Speeding and negligent driving are the most common reasons for fatal car rides in India, according to NCRB. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 5 Sep. 2022 Statewide, murders and non-negligent manslaughters increased 46% last year compared to 2019, according to Pennsylvania’s Uniform Crime Reporting System. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 In November 2019, amid an administrative investigation, Singh resigned from the department, and in September 2020, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted him on a negligent homicide charge, according to KXAS. Tristan Balagtas, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English necligent, negligent, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin neglegent-, neglegens (also neclegens, negligens), present participle of neglegere, neclegere "to disregard, do nothing about, fail to care for" — more at neglect entry 1
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
negligent
adjective
Legal Definition
negligent
adjective
negligent
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- neglectful
- careless
- neglecting
- lazy
- reckless
- derelict
- lax
- remiss
- irresponsible
- slack
- disregardful
- oblivious
- forgetful
- heedless
- inattentive
- thoughtless
- disregarding
- unmindful
- incautious
- uninterested
- disinterested
- indifferent
- unthinking
- unconcerned
- delinquent
- apathetic
- unguarded
- unwary
- unheeding
- wild
- loose
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- careful
- conscientious
- attentive
- responsible
- meticulous
- cautious
- nonnegligent
- punctilious
- circumspect
- vigilant
- mindful
- painstaking
- regarding
- watchful
- wary
- chary
- guarded
- observant
- thinking
- alert
- thoughtful
- provident
- heedful
- interested
- concerned
- gingerly
- regardful
- foresighted
- heeding
- forethoughtful
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of negligent are lax, neglectful, remiss, and slack. While all these words mean "culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness," negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.
While the synonyms lax and negligent are close in meaning, lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.
Although the words neglectful and negligent have much in common, neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.
While in some cases nearly identical to negligent, remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.
The meanings of slack and negligent largely overlap; however, slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.