derelict

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdɛɹəˌlɪk(t)/ UK /ˈdɛr.ə.lɪkt/ See IPA manual

Freq #25947

Meanings

1

adj
Left empty and falling apart from neglect; run-down.

The old factory had become a derelict building, with broken windows and a collapsing roof.
2

adj
Failing to do what your duty requires; seriously negligent.

The inspectors were found to be derelict in their duty after they ignored the safety warnings.
3

noun
A person without a home or job, often living on the streets.

A few derelicts were sleeping under the bridge to stay out of the rain.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · left empty and falling... abandoned broken-down dilapidated neglected ramshackle ruinous

2 adj · failing to do what your... careless delinquent lax neglectful negligent

3 noun · a person without a home or... bumdown-and-outdrifter hobo vagrant

Word family

Forms derelicts

Derived forms derelictlyderelictnessderoderroderrysemiderelict

Related forms dereliction relic relict relinquish

Simplified etymology

Derelict comes from Latin derelictus, the past participle of derelinquere “to abandon.” That verb combines de- “completely” with relinquere “to forsake,” which is also the source of relinquish.

Etymology

PIE word *de The adjective and verb are a learned borrowing from Latin dērelictus (“(completely) abandoned, deserted, forsaken; discarded”), the perfect passive participle of dērelinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake; to discard”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; completely, thoroughly’) + relinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake, leave (behind); to depart (from); to give up, relinquish”) (from Proto-Italic *wrelinkʷō, from *wre (“again”) (whence Latin rē- (prefix meaning ‘again’)) + *linkʷō (“to leave”) (whence linquō (“to forsake; depart from, leave, quit”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Eur…

*leykʷ- Proto-Indo-European dērelictus Latin *wrelinkʷō Proto-Italic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# derelict

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɛɹəˌlɪk(t)/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɛr.ə.lɪkt/
**Frequency rank:** 25947

## Meanings
1. Left empty and falling apart from neglect; run-down.
2. Failing to do what your duty requires; seriously negligent.
3. A person without a home or job, often living on the streets.

## Examples
- The old factory had become a derelict building, with broken windows and a collapsing roof.
- The inspectors were found to be derelict in their duty after they ignored the safety warnings.
- A few derelicts were sleeping under the bridge to stay out of the rain.

## Derived Forms
- derelictly
- derelictness
- dero
- derro
- derry
- semiderelict

## Related Forms
- dereliction
- relic
- relict
- relinquish

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *leykʷ-
- Root: dērelictus
- Root: *wrelinkʷō

## Etymology
PIE word *de The adjective and verb are a learned borrowing from Latin dērelictus (“(completely) abandoned, deserted, forsaken; discarded”), the perfect passive participle of dērelinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake; to discard”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; completely, thoroughly’) + relinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake, leave (behind); to depart (from); to give up, relinquish”) (from Proto-Italic *wrelinkʷō, from *wre (“again”) (whence Latin rē- (prefix meaning ‘again’)) + *linkʷō (“to leave”) (whence linquō (“to forsake; depart from, leave, quit”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Eur…

## AI Etymology
For derelict, the adjective and verb are a learned borrowing from Latin dērelictus (“(completely) abandoned, deserted, forsaken; discarded”), the perfect passive participle of dērelinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake; to discard”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; completely, thoroughly’) + relinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake, leave (behind); to depart (from); to give up, relinquish”) (from Proto-Italic *wrelinkʷō, from *wre (“again”) (whence Latin rē- (prefix meaning ‘again’)) + *linkʷō (“to leave”) (whence linquō (“to forsake; depart from, leave, quit”), ultimately from. The deeper Proto-Indo-European form is *de. In present-day use, it can mean left empty and falling apart from neglect; run-down, or failing to do what your duty requires; seriously negligent.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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