neglect

[ni-glekt] /nɪˈglɛkt/
verb (used with object)
1.
to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard or slight:
The public neglected his genius for many years.
2.
to be remiss in the care or treatment of:
to neglect one's family; to neglect one's appearance.
3.
to omit, through indifference or carelessness:
to neglect to reply to an invitation.
4.
to fail to carry out or perform (orders, duties, etc.):
to neglect the household chores.
5.
to fail to take or use:
to neglect no precaution.
noun
6.
an act or instance of neglecting; disregard; negligence:
The neglect of the property was shameful.
7.
the fact or state of being neglected:
a beauty marred by neglect.
Origin
1520-30; < Latin neglēctus, variant of neclēctus (past participle of neglegere, neclegere to disregard, ignore, slight), equivalent to nec not + leg-, base of legere to pick up + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
neglectedly, adverb
neglectedness, noun
neglecter, neglector, noun
overneglect, verb (used with object)
preneglect, verb (used with object)
quasi-neglected, adjective
self-neglect, adjective
self-neglecting, adjective
unneglected, adjective
Synonyms
1. ignore. See slight. 6, 7. default, inattention, heedlessness. Neglect, dereliction, negligence, remissness imply carelessness, failure, or some important omission in the performance of one's duty, a task, etc. Neglect and negligence are occasionally interchangeable, but neglect commonly refers to an instance, negligence to the habit or trait, of failing to attend to or perform what is expected or required: gross neglect of duty; negligence in handling traffic problems. Dereliction implies culpable or reprehensible neglect or failure in the performance of duty: dereliction in a position of responsibility. Remissness implies the omission or the careless or indifferent performance of a duty: remissness in filing a report on the accident.
Antonyms
6. attention, care.
Examples from the web for neglect
  • The neglect is partly due to the narrowness of the general historian.
  • Moreover, you generally neglect to consider how the message might be interpreted by others.
  • His gray hair is tousled, and his beard has the longish look of neglect.
  • His dirty blonde hair was mussed in a calculated way that required far more product than neglect.
  • Lots of people around here neglect grammar.
  • The result has only compounded the neglect.
  • Thankfully, the company can make up for this neglect.
  • We are all witnesses to the repercussions of our previous neglect.
  • The little consideration, the neglect they had experienced, were now described with many aggravations.
  • Dealing with the legal aspect of neglect can be even trickier.
British Dictionary definitions for neglect

neglect

/nɪˈɡlɛkt/
verb (transitive)
1.
to fail to give due care, attention, or time to: to neglect a child
2.
to fail (to do something) through thoughtlessness or carelessness: he neglected to tell her
3.
to ignore or disregard: she neglected his frantic signals
noun
4.
lack of due care or attention; negligence: the child starved through neglect
5.
the act or an instance of neglecting or the state of being neglected
Derived Forms
neglecter, neglector, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Latin neglegere to neglect, from nec not + legere to select
Word Origin and History for neglect
v.

1520s, from Latin neglectus, past participle of neglegere "to make light of, disregard, be indifferent to, not heed, not trouble oneself about," literally "not to pick up," variant of neclegere, from Old Latin nec "not" (see deny) + legere "pick up, select" (see lecture (n.)). Related: Neglected; neglecting.

n.

1580s, from neglect (v.) or from Latin neglectus "a neglecting," noun use of past participle of neglegere.