WordValenegligence
failure to take reasonable care, causing harm
In more detail
1. (noun) failure to give proper care or attention to something that is your responsibility
2. (noun) the quality of being careless or not paying attention
Examples
- 1. The accident was caused by the driver's negligence.
- 2. His negligence in checking the details led to costly mistakes.
How to use negligence
Negligence denotes a failure to exercise reasonable care, often with legal or professional implications. It is more formal and technical than carelessness, particularly in legal contexts where it carries specific liability. The term implies a duty of care that was not met, rather than mere absent-mindedness.
Common phrases
- gross negligence
- criminal negligence
- professional negligence
- negligence claim
- liable for negligence
- act of negligence
Synonyms
carelessness · inattention · dereliction · laxity · oversight
Opposites
diligence · care · attentiveness
Word family
negligent (adjective) · negligently (adverb) · negligible (adjective - different meaning)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse negligence with negligible (meaning unimportant or very small), which are etymologically related but have entirely different meanings and uses.
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