- 1(formal or law) failing to give someone or something enough care or attention, especially when this has serious results The school had been negligent in not informing the child's parents about the incident. grossly negligent
- 2(literary) (of a person or their manner) relaxed; not formal or awkward synonym nonchalant He waved his hand in a negligent gesture. her negligent grace
adverb The defendant drove negligently and hit a street light. She was leaning negligently against the wall.See negligent in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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