negligence
gb/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/ us/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
C1
English
~ 9800
gondatlanság, gondatlan károkozás
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
1
gondatlanság
B2
Usage pattern:
negligence in [verb-ing]
The fire was started by the landlord’s negligence with old electrical wiring.
A tüzet a bérbeadó gondatlansága okozta: nem foglalkozott a régi elektromos vezetékekkel.
Because of the company’s negligence, sensitive customer data was exposed online.
A cég gondatlansága miatt érzékeny ügyféladatok kerültek ki az internetre.
Her lawyer argued that the accident was the result of the driver’s negligence, not bad weather.
The report highlighted serious negligence in maintaining the building’s safety systems.
He admitted his negligence in checking the machine before turning it on.
Learner examples
The accident happened because of the driver’s negligence.
A baleset a sofőr gondatlansága miatt történt.
There was clear negligence in the way the hospital stored the medicine.
Egyértelmű gondatlanság volt abban, ahogyan a kórház a gyógyszert tárolta.
The teacher’s negligence led to a serious mistake on the trip.
The company was punished for its negligence in keeping workers safe.
We cannot accept negligence when children are involved.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "negligence" (a noun) with "negligent" (an adjective) and "neglect" (both a verb and a noun). For example, they may say *"He was negligence"* instead of "He was negligent" or *"He did negligence"* instead of "He showed negligence" or "He neglected his duties." Another common mistake is using it as a countable noun (*"a negligence"*); in modern English it is almost always uncountable: say "because of negligence," not *"because of a negligence."
Meaning
failure to take proper care
Collocations
gross negligence
|medical negligence
|criminal negligence
|due to negligence
|through negligence
|negligence in [verb-ing]
Synonyms
carelessness (More general and everyday; does not always suggest serious harm or responsibility, while negligence often does.)
|
neglect (Can mean both the act of not taking care and the state of not being cared for; negligence is more about the failure to act with proper care.)
|
lack of care (Plain descriptive phrase; less formal and less strongly associated with responsibility or blame than negligence.)
Antonyms
diligence (Focuses on careful and persistent work; the opposite of failing to take proper care.)
|
care (General opposite, stressing attention and caution instead of careless inattention.)
Themes
law
|work
|safety
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not being careful enough when you should be, especially when this causes or may cause harm or damage.
Failure to take the amount of care that a reasonable person would take, especially when this leads or could lead to damage or injury.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
2
Usage pattern:
to sue [someone] for negligence
The family filed a negligence lawsuit against the hospital after the surgical error.
A család a műtéti hiba után gondatlanság miatt kártérítési pert indított a kórház ellen.
To win the case, the plaintiff must prove negligence on the part of the bus company.
Az ügy megnyeréséhez a felperesnek bizonyítania kell a busztársaság gondatlanságát.
The court found the employer liable for negligence in failing to provide proper safety equipment.
Her lawyer argued that the accident was caused by negligence, not by an unavoidable risk.
The judge dismissed the negligence claim due to lack of evidence of a duty of care.
Learner examples
The company was taken to court for negligence after the factory accident.
A gyári baleset után gondatlanság miatt beperelték a vállalatot.
The patient started a negligence claim against the doctor.
A beteg gondatlanság miatt kártérítési igényt érvényesített az orvossal szemben.
In this case, the judge must decide if there was negligence by the school.
They could not prove negligence, so the business did not have to pay damages.
The lawyer explained that negligence law protects people from careless harm.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this legal sense when they only need the general meaning "carelessness." In everyday speech, people more often say "carelessness" or simply talk about someone "not being careful," and reserve this technical sense of "negligence" for courts, lawsuits, and legal responsibility. Learners may also incorrectly say *"He did a negligence"* instead of "He committed negligence" or "He was found negligent."
Meaning
civil wrong of careless harm
Collocations
negligence lawsuit
|negligence claim
|negligence case
|prove negligence
|allege negligence
|liable for negligence
Synonyms
tort of negligence (Technical legal term for this specific type of civil wrong; mainly used by lawyers and in legal texts.)
|
malpractice (Used especially for professional negligence (e.g., by doctors or lawyers), not for all types of negligence.)
Antonyms
due care (Legal-style term emphasizing that the required level of care was properly exercised, so no negligence occurred.)
|
compliance (Stresses following rules or standards correctly, the opposite of breaching a duty of care.)
Themes
law
Definition
In law, a situation where a person does not use the care that the law says they must use, and because of this another person is hurt or loses money, so the careless person may have to pay.
In civil law, a legal wrong that occurs when someone fails to exercise the level of care that the law requires, resulting in damage or injury and possible liability for compensation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
negligence
IPA
GB/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
US/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
Syllables & stress
neg - li - gence (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (neg)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: negligence
- Plural: negligence
Word family
Core family
Related words
neglected
adjective
neglectful
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
negligible
adjective C1
negligibly
adverb
Expressions
criminal negligence
1/kɹˈɪmənəl nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
negligence that is a crime
Negligence that is so serious that the law treats it as a crime, not only a civil problem.
Examples
- The driver was charged with criminal negligence after the fatal accident.
- Prosecutors must show criminal negligence to secure a conviction in this case.
- The new law increases penalties for criminal negligence involving firearms.
due to negligence
1/dˈu tə nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
because of negligence
Because someone was negligent; as a result of negligence.
Examples
- The fire started in the warehouse due to negligence in storing chemicals.
- Several injuries occurred due to negligence on the part of the organizers.
- The bridge collapsed due to negligence in routine maintenance.
gross negligence
1/ɡɹˈoʊs nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
extremely serious negligence
Very serious negligence; a very big and clear failure to be careful when you should be.
Examples
- The court ruled that the crash was caused by gross negligence on the part of the airline.
- Failing to check the brakes at all could be considered gross negligence.
- The contract says the company is not protected if there is gross negligence by its managers.
medical negligence
1/mˈɛdɪkəl nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
negligence by medical staff
Negligence by a doctor, nurse, or other medical worker when they treat a patient.
Examples
- She is suing the clinic for medical negligence after a misdiagnosis.
- The report exposed several cases of medical negligence in the hospital.
- Victims of medical negligence may be entitled to financial compensation.
negligence claim
1/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns klˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
formal
legal claim for negligence
A legal case where someone asks for money because they say another person’s negligence caused harm.
Examples
- The family filed a negligence claim against the construction company.
- Her negligence claim was settled out of court.
- Many law firms advertise their services for personal injury and negligence claims.
negligence lawsuit
1/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns lˈɔsˌut/
fixed phrase
formal
lawsuit based on negligence
A court case where a person or company is taken to court because of alleged negligence.
Examples
- The negligence lawsuit against the hotel was widely reported in the media.
- They decided to avoid a long negligence lawsuit by agreeing to a settlement.
- The company has faced several negligence lawsuits in the past decade.
professional negligence
1/pɹəfˈɛʃənəl nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
negligence by a professional
Negligence by someone doing their job as a professional, such as a lawyer, engineer, or accountant, which harms a client or customer.
Examples
- The engineer faced a claim of professional negligence after the bridge failure.
- Insurance can protect architects against professional negligence claims.
- The firm was found liable for professional negligence in handling the investment.
sue for negligence
1/sˈu fɚ nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
start lawsuit over negligence
To take someone to court because you say their negligence caused harm or loss.
Examples
- The family plans to sue for negligence after the workplace accident.
- Several passengers decided to sue for negligence following the train derailment.
- If the hotel refuses to pay, they may sue for negligence.
through negligence
1/θɹˈu nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
fixed phrase
formal
as a result of negligence
As a result of negligence; happening because someone did not take enough care.
Examples
- The documents were lost through negligence in the office.
- The company’s reputation was damaged through negligence, not bad luck.
- Many accidents on the site happened through negligence rather than equipment failure.