# negligence

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈnɛɡlɪd͡ʒəns/ · frequency rank #12,110

## Definitions
1. The state of being negligent.
2. The tort whereby a duty of reasonable care was breached, causing damage: any conduct short of intentional or reckless action that falls below the legal standard for preventing unreasonable injury.
3. The breach of a duty of care: the failure to exercise a standard of care that a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.

## Etymology
From Middle English necligence, negligence, from Old French negligence, from Latin neglegentia.

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

## Common misspellings (16)
`engligence`, `neggligence`, `negilgence`, `neglgience`, `negliegnce`, `negligance`, `negligecne`, `negligencce`, `negligenec`, `negligennce`, `negliggence`, `neglignece`, `neglligence`, `nelgigence`, `ngeligence`, `nnegligence`

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