negligence
NEG-lih-jens
/ˈneɡlɪdʒəns/
Failure to take proper care in doing something, resulting in damage or injury to another.
Negligence is about what you didn't do. It is the absence of 'reasonable care.' It is the basis for most personal injury lawsuits.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'neglegere,' which literally means 'not to pick up.' If you see a duty or a safety hazard on the ground and you don't 'pick it up' or attend to it, you are being negligent.
Word relationships
- carelessness: Carelessness is the everyday term; negligence is the formal and legal term.
- laxity: Laxity implies a lack of strictness or firmness, often in rules or morals.
- diligence: Careful and persistent work or effort.
- carefulness: The quality of being cautious and avoiding danger or mistakes.
Commonly confused with
- recklessness: Negligence is failing to notice a risk; recklessness is noticing the risk and ignoring it.
Word family
- negligent (adjective): Failing to take proper care.
- neglect (verb): To fail to care for properly.
Collocations
- gross negligence
- medical negligence
- contributory negligence
- criminal negligence
Example sentences
- "The hospital was sued for medical negligence after a surgical tool was left inside a patient." A lawsuit against a hospital.
- "Negligence is the omission to do something which a reasonable man... would do." A legal definition of the standard of care. (Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks Co (1856))
Memory hook
Negligence = Neglect + Intelligence. You neglected to use your intelligence to be careful. Failure to take care.
When not to use
Do not use for intentional harm; negligence is by definition unintentional (though it can be 'gross' or 'reckless').
Fun facts
- In law, the 'Reasonable Person Standard' is used to determine negligence—what would a normal, sensible person have done?
- Comparative negligence is a rule where the victim's own carelessness can reduce the amount of money they win in a lawsuit.
Related words
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