negligent

adjective

neg·​li·​gent ˈne-gli-jənt How to pronounce negligent (audio)
Synonyms of negligentnext
1
a
: marked by or given to neglect especially habitually or culpably
was a careless workman, negligent of details—Edith Hamilton
b
: failing to exercise the care expected of a reasonably prudent person in like circumstances
negligent about traffic regulations
2
: marked by a carelessly easy manner
negligently adverb

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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for negligent

negligent, neglectful, lax, slack, remiss mean culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness.

negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.

negligent about writing a note of thanks

neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.

a society callously neglectful of the poor

lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.

a reporter lax about accurate quotation

slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.

slack workmanship

remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.

had been remiss in their familial duties

Examples of negligent in a Sentence

The fire was started by a negligent smoker. He was negligent in not reporting the accident to the police.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Penny, a 26-year-old former Marine, is charged with second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Penny, 26, is facing second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges in Neely’s death in May 2023. —Eric Levenson, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024 He was previously charged with negligent homicide and two counts of malfeasance. —Emily Palmer, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024 Months earlier, the city — in an effort to crack down on negligent landlords and boost inspections — proposed an amendment to revamp its rules for regulating rental properties. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for negligent 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of negligent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near negligent

negligency

negligent

negligent escape

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Negligent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negligent. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

negligent

adjective
neg·​li·​gent ˈneg-li-jənt How to pronounce negligent (audio)
1
: marked by or likely to show neglect
2
: failing to take proper or normal care
negligently adverb

Legal Definition

negligent

adjective
neg·​li·​gent ˈne-gli-jənt How to pronounce negligent (audio)
: marked by, given to, or produced by negligence
a negligent act
the defendant was negligent
negligently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on negligent

Nglish: Translation of negligent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of negligent for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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