Neglect

How to spell neglect

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce neglect

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does neglect mean?

1. verbTo fail to care for, attend to, or carry out something properly.
2. nounThe state or act of failing to give proper care or attention.

Neglect in a sentence

• verb

  Some landlords neglect basic repairs for years on end.

• noun

  The garden fell into neglect after the owners moved away.

• verb

  Do not neglect the small print before signing the lease.

• noun

  The inspector blamed years of neglect for the building's decay.

Where does neglect come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Neglect comes from the Latin verb neglegere, meaning 'to disregard' or 'not to pick up', formed from neg-, a negative element meaning 'not', and legere, 'to gather, choose, or pay attention to'. The literal sense was therefore 'to not gather' or 'to fail to heed', a picture of leaving something lying on the ground rather than tending to it. English borrowed the word in the sixteenth century from the Latin past participle neglectus, which is why the spelling keeps the -ct ending. The same legere root is hidden inside familiar relatives such as 'collect' (gather together), 'select' (gather apart), and even 'elegant'. Keeping the root meaning of 'gather' in mind helps explain why neglect is about failing to gather up or attend to a duty or a person.

How the word is built

• neg- (not)
• lect (from legere: to gather, choose, heed)