NEGLIGENT Meaning and
Definition
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Negligent is an adjective that refers to someone's lack of proper concern or care in performing a task, resulting in harm or damage. It describes a situation where someone fails to exercise the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in similar circumstances. This failure can occur in various contexts, such as personal behavior, professional duties, or legal responsibilities.
In legal terms, negligence is a concept that plays a significant role in determining liability for damages. A person is considered negligent when they fail to adhere to the standard of care expected in a particular situation, and as a result, cause harm or injury to another person or property. Negligence is often assessed by examining four elements: whether there was a duty of care owed to the person harmed, whether the defendant breached that duty, whether the breach caused the harm, and whether the harm resulted in damages.
Outside of the legal realm, negligent behavior refers to actions or omissions that show a lack of attention, care, or responsibility towards others. It can involve disregard for safety measures, failure to follow rules or regulations, or inattentiveness that leads to accidents or harm. Negligence can manifest in many aspects of life, including driving recklessly, failing to maintain property, or not taking reasonable steps to prevent predictable harm.
In summary, negligent is an adjective used to describe careless, inattentive, or thoughtless behavior or actions that result in harm or damage. It suggests a lack of proper care, which can have legal, professional, or personal consequences.
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• Careless; heedless; habitually inattentive; not doing what ought to be done.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
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Etymology of NEGLIGENT
The word "negligent" originated from the Latin adjective "negligens" which is the present participle of "negligere". "Negligere" is formed by combining the prefix "nē-" meaning "not" or "away" with the verb "legere" meaning "to choose" or "to gather". Hence, "negligent" originally meant "not choosing" or "failing to gather". Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to someone who fails to take proper care or shows lack of attention to duty, which is the sense in which it is primarily used today.
Similar spelling words for NEGLIGENT
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