Synonyms for negligence
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Carelessness
carelessness, neglect, inadvertence, disregard, inattention, indifference, thoughtlessness, forgetfulness, remissness, slackness, slight, laxness, nonperformance, heedlessness, neglectfulness, inadvertency
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The state of being negligent.
Related words
- Word family
- negligent neglect
- Phrases
- criminal negligence culpable negligence
Forms
- Plural
- negligences → carelessnesses, neglects, inadvertences, disregards…
Choose the right word
Neglect has a passive sense which negligence has not; the child was suffering from neglect, i. e., from being neglected by others; the child was suffering from negligence would imply that he himself was neglectful.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- neglect She was dismissed on the grounds of neglect of duty.
- disregard Tom showed reckless disregard for Mary's feelings.
- carelessness The accident was due to the driver's carelessness.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| negligence | falling | |
| neglect | steady | |
| disregard | falling | |
| carelessness | falling | |
| inadvertence | falling | |
| laches | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- slight1, laches
- 7 letters
- neglect2, laxness
- 9 letters
- disregard3, slackness2
- 10 letters
- remissness
- 11 letters
- inattention4
- 12 letters
- indifference4, carelessness3, inadvertence4, heedlessness, inadvertency
- 13 letters
- forgetfulness
- 14 letters
- nonperformance, neglectfulness
- 15 letters
- thoughtlessness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (neglect2 = 2 syllables).