Word Study
negligence
CIDE DICTIONARY
negligence, n. [F. négligence, L. negligentia.].
- The quality or state of being negligent; lack of due diligence or care; omission of duty; habitual neglect; heedlessness. [1913 Webster]
- An act or instance of negligence or carelessness. [1913 Webster]"remarking his beauties, . . . I must also point out his negligences and defects." [1913 Webster]
- The omission of the care usual under the circumstances, being convertible with the Roman
culpa . A specialist is bound to higher skill and diligence in his specialty than one who is not a specialist, and liability for negligence varies acordingly. [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Neglect; inattention; heedlessness; disregard; slight.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
negligence, n.
1 a a lack of proper care and attention; carelessness. b an act of carelessness.
2 Law = contributory negligence.
3 Art freedom from restraint or artificiality.
1 a a lack of proper care and attention; carelessness. b an act of carelessness.
2 Law = contributory negligence.
3 Art freedom from restraint or artificiality.
Derivative
negligent adj. negligently adv.
Etymology
ME f. OF negligence or L negligentia f. negligere = neglegere: see NEGLECT
THESAURUS
negligence
absentmindedness, accidia, acedia, allowance, apathy, approximation, ataraxia, ataraxy, bad policy, blowziness, carelessness, casualness, chintziness, culpa, culpable negligence, default, delinquency, dereliction, detachment, deviation, disconformity, disinterest, dispassion, disregard, disregardfulness, distraction, dowdiness, easiness, easygoingness, failing, failure, fecklessness, flightiness, flippancy, forgetfulness, frivolousness, frowziness, frumpishness, giddiness, grubbiness, hastiness, heedlessness, impolicy, impotence, imprecision, improvidence, inaccuracy, inaccurateness, inadvertence, inadvertency, inattention, inattentiveness, inconsideration, incorrectness, incuriosity, indifference, indiscrimination, inexactitude, inexactness, inexcitability, inexpedience, inexpediency, inobservance, insouciance, laches, lack of affect, lackadaisicalness, laissez-faire, lapse, lax stewardship, laxity, laxness, leniency, levity, lightmindedness, listlessness, looseness, loosening, maladministration, malfeasance, malpractice, messiness, mindlessness, misadministration, misconduct, misdirection, misfeasance, misgovernment, misguidance, mishandling, mismanagement, misrule, neglect, neglectfulness, nonadherence, nonchalance, noncompliance, nonconformance, nonconformity, nonfeasance, nonfulfillment, noninterference, nonobservance, nonperformance, nonrestriction, obliviousness, omission, oscitancy, overindulgence, overlooking, overpermissiveness, oversight, permissiveness, pococurantism, poor husbandry, poor stewardship, predictable error, probable error, procrastination, recklessness, regardlessness, relaxation, relaxedness, remissness, seediness, shabbiness, shallowness, shiftlessness, shoddiness, slackness, slatternliness, slight, slipshodness, sloppiness, sloth, slovenliness, slovenry, sluttishness, softness, sordidness, squalidness, squalor, standard deviation, superficiality, tackiness, tawdriness, thoughtlessness, thriftlessness, tolerance, unalertness, unanxiousness, unawareness, unconcern, unconsciousness, uncorrectness, unfactualness, unheedfulness, unintentiveness, unmindfulness, unneatness, unobservance, unpreciseness, unrestraint, unrigorousness, unsolicitousness, untidiness, unwariness, unwatchfulness, weakness, wrongdoingROGET THESAURUS
negligence
Neglect
N neglect, carelessness, trifling, negligence, omission, oversight, laches, default, supineness, inattention, nonchalance, imprudence, recklessness, slovenliness improvidence, noncompletion, inexactness, paralipsis, paralepsis, paraleipsis (in rhetoric), trifler, waiter on Providence, Micawber, neglecting, unmindful, negligent, neglectful, heedless, careless, thoughtless, perfunctory, remiss, feebleness, inconsiderate, uncircumspect, incircumspect, off one's guard, unwary, unwatchful, unguarded, offhand, supine, inattentive, insouciant, imprudent, reckless, slovenly inexact, improvident, neglected, unheeded, uncared-for, unperceived, unseen, unobserved, unnoticed, unnoted, unmarked, unattended to, unthought of, unregarded, unremarked, unmissed, shunted, shelved, unexamined, unstudied, unsearched, unscanned, unweighed, unsifted, unexplored, abandoned, buried in a napkin, hid under a bushel, negligently, hand over head, anyhow, in an unguarded moment, per incuriam, Int, never mind, no matter, let it pass, out of sight, out of mind.For further exploring for "negligence" in Webster Dictionary Online