negligence
gb/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/ us/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
C1
Inglés
~ 9800
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
formal
C1
state
1
failure to take proper care
Not being careful enough when you should be, especially when this causes or may cause harm or damage.
Patrón de uso:
negligence in [verb-ing]
Error frecuente:
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."
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
gross negligence
|medical negligence
|criminal negligence
|due to negligence
|through negligence
|negligence in [verb-ing]
Temas
law
|work
|safety
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The fire was started by the landlord’s negligence with old electrical wiring.
- Because of the company’s negligence, sensitive customer data was exposed online.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The accident happened because of the driver’s negligence.
- There was clear negligence in the way the hospital stored the medicine.
- 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.
Sustantivo
technical
C2
entity
2
civil wrong of careless harm
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.
Patrón de uso:
to sue [someone] for negligence
Error frecuente:
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."
Sinónimos
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.)
Antónimos
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.)
Colocaciones
negligence lawsuit
|negligence claim
|negligence case
|prove negligence
|allege negligence
|liable for negligence
Temas
law
Ejemplos
- The family filed a negligence lawsuit against the hospital after the surgical error.
- To win the case, the plaintiff must prove negligence on the part of the bus company.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The company was taken to court for negligence after the factory accident.
- The patient started a negligence claim against the doctor.
- 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.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
negligence
AFI
GB/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
US/nˈɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/
Sílabas y acento
neg - li - gence (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (neg)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: negligence
- Plural: negligence
Familia de palabras
Core family
Related words
neglected
adjective
neglectful
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
negligible
adjective C1
negligibly
adverb
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.