noun

dereliction

dehr-ih-LIHK-shuhn

noun

A failure to do what duty requires; neglect of responsibility.

"The officer was charged with dereliction of duty."

The state of being abandoned and neglected.

"The old mill has fallen into total dereliction."

How to Use Dereliction

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNeglecting a duty you were supposed to carry out, or the abandoned state that results from neglect.

Common pairings

dereliction of duty state of dereliction

derelictions plural

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The officer was charged with _____ of duty.

From Latin derelictio, "abandonment," from derelinquere, "to abandon."

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