# neglect

> English word · Verb · IPA /nɪˈɡlɛkt/ · frequency rank #9,784

## Definitions
1. To fail to care for or attend to something.
2. To omit to notice; to forbear to treat with attention or respect; to slight.
3. To fail to do or carry out something due to oversight or carelessness.
4. To ignore for the sake of simplifying calculations without significantly affecting accuracy.

## Etymology
The verb is inherited from Middle English neglect, neclect, derived from Latin neglēctus, perfect passive participle of neglegō (“to make light of, disregard, not to pick up”), itself from nec (“not”) + legō (“to pick up, select”). The noun is from neglēctus (“neglect”). First attested in 1460, the noun in 1588.

## Easily confused with
- **neglected** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/neglect-vs-neglected)

## Common misspellings (11)
`englect`, `negelct`, `negglect`, `neglcet`, `neglecct`, `neglectt`, `negletc`, `negllect`, `nelgect`, `ngelect`, `nneglect`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/neglect