neglect

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To fail to look after someone or something properly.

   He neglected his garden, and soon it was full of weeds.

2. 2
   verb

   To fail to do something, often because you forget or do not bother.

   She neglected to mention that she would be late.

3. 3
   noun

   A failure to care for someone or something properly.

   The old house had fallen into a state of neglect.

The verb is inherited from Middle English neglect, neclect, derived from Latin neglēctus, perfect passive participle of neglegō (“to make light of, disregard, not to pick up”), itself from nec (“not”) + legō (“to pick up, select”). The noun is from neglēctus (“neglect”). First attested in 1460, the noun in 1588.

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