What does neglect mean?
Neglect means to fail to give proper attention, care, or consideration to someone or something. As a verb, it can describe leaving a person or place uncared for, overlooking a matter, or failing to perform an expected duty. The word often carries a serious or negative implication because it suggests that something important has been allowed to suffer through inattention or failure of responsibility. “Child neglect” and “neglect of duty” are established expressions, while less formal uses might describe failing to maintain a property or overlooking a responsibility. Neglect is also used as a noun for the condition or practice of receiving insufficient care or attention, as in a building suffering from years of neglect. Its history points to the original idea of leaving something untouched or uncollected, and the modern word retains that sense of allowing something to go unattended despite an obligation to care for it.
To fail to give proper attention or care to someone or something, or to fail to perform a duty or responsibility.
"The council was accused of neglecting the needs of rural residents."
The verb can describe deliberate disregard, simple oversight, or a failure to act that allows harm or deterioration to continue.
A lack of care or attention, especially toward a person, place, duty, or responsibility.
"The condition of the road was blamed on decades of neglect."
Often used in formal contexts concerning social care, public responsibility, or the maintenance of property and institutions.
Plural form is uncommon; the noun is normally used in the singular or in phrases such as “acts of neglect.”
"The report documented repeated neglects of the building's safety requirements."
Neglect comes from the Latin neglegere: literally, “not to pick up,” an apt reminder that what is left undone can be as important as what is done.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does neglect come from?
The word comes from Latin neglegere, meaning “to overlook” or “not to pick up,” formed from neg-, meaning “not,” and legere, meaning “to pick up” or “collect.” English borrowed it through Old French, with the noun and verb developing in English during the medieval period. Related forms include negligent, negligence, and neglectful, all based on the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How neglect is actually used
Neglect is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts. In legal and social-policy contexts, it often refers to a failure to provide necessary care, especially to a child or other dependent; in other contexts, it can mean simply giving insufficient attention to a task, person, or obligation.
Easily confused with neglect
Neglect is the action or failure to provide care or attention, whereas neglectful describes someone who habitually fails to do so.
Neglect refers to the act of failing to care for something or perform a duty, while negligence is the broader legal or moral concept of failing to exercise reasonable care.