What does neglectful mean?
Neglectful is an adjective describing someone who fails to give proper care, attention, or effort to something they are responsible for. It is most often applied to people in roles of duty, such as parents, caretakers, landlords, or officials, and it carries a clearly disapproving tone. A neglectful person does not necessarily act with malice; the fault lies in what they leave undone, whether that is feeding a pet, repairing a building, answering a friend, or meeting a professional obligation. The word usually takes the preposition 'of', as in 'neglectful of his duties', though it can also stand alone before a noun, as in 'a neglectful guardian'. It is somewhat more formal than 'careless' and more emphasis on habitual omission than 'forgetful', which suggests a lapse of memory rather than a lack of concern. Because it names a failure of responsibility, it appears frequently in discussions of child welfare, animal care, property management, and workplace conduct. It is a precise and useful word for criticizing inaction without alleging deliberate harm.
adjectiveFailing to give proper care or attention to something or someone that one is responsible for; habitually careless about duties or obligations.
- Failing to give proper care or attention to a person, duty, or thing that requires it.
- Characterized by or showing neglect, as in a neglectful attitude or neglectful conduct.
"The inquiry found that the landlord had been neglectful of his tenants' safety for years."
"She felt guilty for having been so neglectful of her old friends while she was busy with work."
"The report criticised the council as neglectful of the building's maintenance."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neglectful come from?
Neglectful is formed in English from the noun and verb neglect plus the suffix -ful, and it dates from the early 17th century. Neglect itself comes from Latin neglectus, the past participle of neglegere, meaning 'to disregard' or 'to not pick up', built from neg- (not) and legere (to gather, pick up, read). The same Latin root gives English negligent, negligence, and negligible.
Related word forms
How neglectful is actually used
Neglectful is a somewhat formal word with a clearly critical connotation. It is most often used of people in positions of responsibility, such as parents, guardians, owners, or officials, and it usually takes the preposition 'of' before the thing neglected.
Easily confused with neglectful
Negligent often implies a failure to take reasonable care, especially in a legal sense, while neglectful stresses a pattern of failing to look after someone or something.