Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Failing to take proper care in doing something; characterized by neglect or lack of due care or concern. It describes a person or their actions that do not show the necessary attention, care, or effort that a situation requires, often leading to mistakes, oversights, or harm.

Usage and Examples

• General Use: Describes a person's habitual carelessness or a specific careless act.

  • The court found the company negligent for not maintaining safe equipment.
  • She was negligent in locking the doors before leaving the house.

• With Prepositions:

  • Negligent in (doing something): Failing to do something with proper care.

    • The doctor was negligent in his duties.
    • He has been negligent in paying his bills on time.
  • Negligent of (something): Failing to give proper attention to something.

    • She was negligent of her responsibilities as a team leader.

Advanced Usage

• Legal Context: In law, "negligent" is a key term for establishing liability. It means failing to exercise the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in the same circumstances.
  • The driver was found criminally negligent for causing the accident.
• Comparative and Superlative Forms:
  • More negligent, Most negligent: Used for comparison.

    • His second report was even more negligent than the first.

Variants and Related Words

• Negligence (noun): The state or fact of being negligent; a failure to take proper care.
  • The accident was a result of gross negligence.
• Negligently (adverb): In a negligent manner.
  • He negligently left the confidential documents on his desk.

Synonyms

• Careless: Not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm or errors.
• Remiss: Lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.
• Derelict: Willfully negligent; failing in one's duty.
• Heedless: Showing a reckless lack of care or attention.

Antonyms

• Careful: Making sure of avoiding potential danger, mishap, or harm; cautious.
• Diligent: Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties.
• Attentive: Paying close attention to something.
• Conscientious: Wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Culpable negligence: A degree of negligence that is greater than simple carelessness; it implies a reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, often with legal consequences.
  • The surgeon was accused of culpable negligence.
• Willful negligence: An intentional failure to perform a manifest duty in reckless disregard of the consequences.
  • The landlord's willful negligence led to the tenant's injury.

Adjective

1. characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern
   • negligent parents
   • negligent of detail
   • negligent in his correspondence