'Neglect' definitions:

Definition of 'neglect'

(from WordNet)
noun
Lack of attention and due care [syn: disregard, neglect]
noun
The state of something that has been unused and neglected; "the house was in a terrible state of neglect" [syn: neglect, disuse]
noun
Willful lack of care and attention [syn: disregard, neglect]
noun
The trait of neglecting responsibilities and lacking concern [syn: negligence, neglect, neglectfulness]
noun
Failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances [syn: negligence, carelessness, neglect, nonperformance]
verb
Leave undone or leave out; "How could I miss that typo?"; "The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten" [syn: neglect, pretermit, omit, drop, miss, leave out, overlook, overleap] [ant: attend to, take to heart]
verb
Fail to do something; leave something undone; "She failed to notice that her child was no longer in his crib"; "The secretary failed to call the customer and the company lost the account" [syn: fail, neglect]
verb
Fail to attend to; "he neglects his children"
verb
Give little or no attention to; "Disregard the errors" [syn: neglect, ignore, disregard]

Definition of 'Neglect'

From: GCIDE
  • Neglect \Neg*lect"\, n. [L. neglectus. See Neglect, v.]
  • 1. Omission of proper attention; avoidance or disregard of duty, from heedlessness, indifference, or willfulness; failure to do, use, or heed anything; culpable disregard; as, neglect of business, of health, of economy. [1913 Webster]
  • To tell thee sadly, shepherd, without blame, Or our neglect, we lost her as we came. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Omission of attention or civilities; slight; as, neglect of strangers. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Habitual carelessness; negligence. [1913 Webster]
  • Age breeds neglect in all. --Denham. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. The state of being disregarded, slighted, or neglected. [1913 Webster]
  • Rescue my poor remains from vile neglect. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: Negligence; inattention; disregard; disesteem; remissness; indifference. See Negligence. [1913 Webster]
  • benign neglect A deliberate policy of minimizing public discussion of a controversial issue [e.g. by the president] on the theory that excessive discussion in itself is harmful or counterproductive. [PJC]

Definition of 'Neglect'

From: GCIDE
  • Neglect \Neg*lect"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Neglected; p. pr. & vb. n. Neglecting.] [L. neglectus, p. p. of neglegere (negligere) to disregard, neglect, the literal sense prob. being, not to pick up; nec not, nor (fr. ne not + -que, a particle akin to Goth. -h, -uh, and prob. to E. who; cf. Goth. nih nor) + L. legere to pick up, gather. See No, adv., Legend, Who.]
  • 1. Not to attend to with due care or attention; to forbear one's duty in regard to; to allow to pass unimproved, unheeded, undone, etc.; to omit; to disregard; to slight; as, to neglect duty or business; to neglect to pay debts. [1913 Webster]
  • I hope My absence doth neglect no great designs. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • This, my long suffering and my day of grace, Those who neglect and scorn shall never taste. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To omit to notice; to forbear to treat with attention or respect; to slight; as, to neglect strangers. [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: To slight; overlook; disregard; disesteem; contemn. See Slight. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'neglect'

From: Moby Thesaurus