Basic Details
Word: Negligence
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Failure to take proper care over something you are responsible for, often causing harm or loss.
Synonyms: carelessness, neglect, laxity
Antonyms: care, diligence, attention
How to Spell Negligence
Syllables: neg - li - gence
Tricky part: After negl comes an i, and the ending is ence, not ance. The g sounds like j but is still a g.
Watch out for: negligance, neglegence, negligense
Memory tip: Negligence and its opposite diligence end the same way: -igence. Learn the pair together and the ending sticks.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The flood damage was blamed on the negligence of the officials who never cleared the drains.
Example 2: A moment of negligence on the road can cause a serious accident.
Example 3: The court ordered the hospital to pay for its negligence.
Fun Fact
Negligence is also a legal term: in many countries a person can be sued for negligence if their carelessness harms someone they owed a duty of care.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
negl_g_nce
a) e, a
b) e, e
c) i, e
d) i, a
Show answer
c) i, e. Neg-li-gence: an i after the l, and the noun ending ence.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to negligence as used in the sentence:
The warehouse fire was caused by the negligence of a guard who left a heater on all night.
a) courage
b) diligence
c) carelessness
d) kindness
Show answer
c) carelessness. Negligence is carelessness; diligence is its opposite.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The report blamed the builder's leggincene for the collapse of the wall.
a) negligible
b) diligence
c) intelligence
d) negligence
Show answer
d) negligence. Ten letters with two g's, two n's and three e's give negligence; negligible ends in ible.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which is an example of negligence?
a) checking the brakes before a trip
b) locking the door at night
c) leaving a gas stove on and going out
d) washing hands before cooking
Show answer
c) leaving a gas stove on and going out
2. Negligence is the noun from which adjective?
a) negligent
b) negative
c) neglectful
d) negotiable
Show answer
a) negligent
