negligence

From Middle English necligence, negligence, from Old French negligence, from Latin neglegentia.

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/

• Audio (UK)

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• Hyphenation: neg‧li‧gence

negligence (usually uncountable, plural negligences)

1. The state of being negligent.

   negligence while driving

   • 1946 January and February, T. S. Lascelles, “A Series of False Signals”, in Railway Magazine, page 43:

     The Woodwalton signalman, Rose, who was severely censured in Captain Tyler's report, behaved with great negligence.

2. (law, singular only) The tort whereby a duty of reasonable care was breached, causing damage: any conduct short of intentional or reckless action that falls below the legal standard for preventing unreasonable injury.
3. (law, uncountable) The breach of a duty of care: the failure to exercise a standard of care that a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.

• The breach of a duty of care is one element of the tort of negligence, but is also called negligence; one must therefore take care to clarify what is meant.

• negligent
• neglect
• endangerment

• negligence on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

negligence f (uncountable)

1. negligence (state of being negligent)

• French: négligence