MEANING
1. Failing to take proper care or fulfill a duty, often with harmful consequences.
2. In law, falling below the standard of reasonable care expected to prevent foreseeable harm.
Use it for
Use for careless conduct that breaches a responsibility.Let a small failure of care carry serious consequences.
Words that belong together
- negligent inspection
- negligent conduct
- negligent in one’s duty
- negligent supervision
- negligent act
- negligence claim
On the page
A negligent inspection left the cracked support hidden behind fresh paint.
The court found the contractor negligent for ignoring the unstable balcony.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- negligent
Usage notes
Often implies a duty or responsibility that was not met; in law it can mean falling below the required standard of reasonable care. Sense 2: This legal sense depends on a duty and applicable standard of care; ordinary carelessness alone is not always legally negligent.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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