NEGLIGENCE Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

negligence

noun

ˈne-gli-jən(t)s

Definition of negligence

as in neglectfulness

failure to take the care that a cautious person usually takes exhibiting his usual negligence, he failed to set the emergency brake, and the car rolled down the steep hill and crashed into the telephone pole

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in neglect

the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action the factory's owners are being charged with criminal negligence for the fire that killed a dozen workers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of negligence The former child star is now suing Disney over negligence, alleging that the studio failed to protect her or investigate despite warning signs of abuse. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026 The new system will reduce the time tenants face to have emergency hearings on potential negligence from landlords, Mamdani explained. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Should there be a lawsuit against the zoo’s owner for negligence? — Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 24 Aug. 2026 The lawsuit accuses Wendy's of strict product liability, negligence, and breach of warranty. — Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for negligence

Recent Examples of Synonyms for negligence

Noun

It gets filed alongside carelessness, disorganization and not really trying, and the people who display it often apologize for it as though they’d been caught slacking.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Either this is an issue of carelessness or a lack of communication between you and the cleaning service.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of carelessness

Noun

Nacua’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child, Hallie Aiono, has now accused him of abuse and neglect during their four-year relationship.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Maryland provides legal representation to children involved in abuse and neglect, termination-of-parental-rights and related proceedings.

— John Mattingly, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of neglect

Noun

The failures resulted in a divorce during the offseason and this exhibition game at Hard Rock Stadium was the first time the couple happened to be at the same place at the same time since the split.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
For five months, these players have underperformed, much to the chagrin of their front offices and the fans, who repeatedly boo their failures.

— Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of failure

Noun

The conflicting rulings from the 3rd and 9th circuit courts have provided an opportunity for the Supreme Court to get involved and review which regulator should have oversight of prediction markets, Bank of America said in a Monday note.

— Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
After injection begins, engineering oversight must track subsurface fluid movement.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of oversight

Noun

Importantly, a measure in the bond market that shows how worried bond investors are about potential bond defaults by several big economies’ governments has not risen excessively, according to strategists at Macquarie.

— Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
In its default configuration, the handheld’s screen is flanked by analog sticks, a D-pad, and Xbox-style ABXY face buttons, plus two triggers on each shoulder.

— Dominic Preston, The Verge, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of default

Browse Nearby Words

negligees

negligence

negligent

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Negligence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negligence. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of negligence

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on negligence

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes