1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in negligence
failure to take the care that a cautious person usually takes
the ski area was not held responsible for the injury on account of the skier's own manifest dereliction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in neglect
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
both sentries were to be court-martialed for dereliction of duty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in weakness
a defect in character
believes that society is guilty of a moral dereliction if it does not care for those unable to care for themselves
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dereliction
Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers.
—
Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
Even those who generally supported Carlsen were shocked, seeing it not as an example of sportsmanship but as dereliction.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025
Some of the pillars of this order, like the World Trade Organisation – effectively built by an Irishman (Peter Sutherland) – are in a state of dereliction.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Hugo wrote in voluptuous, righteous prose about Notre-Dame’s dereliction.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
Even those who generally supported Carlsen were shocked, seeing it not as an example of sportsmanship but as dereliction.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025
Some of the pillars of this order, like the World Trade Organisation – effectively built by an Irishman (Peter Sutherland) – are in a state of dereliction.
—Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Hugo wrote in voluptuous, righteous prose about Notre-Dame’s dereliction.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
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Studies show that children exposed to abuse or high-conflict environments often develop a fear of abandonment and rejection, which can lead to complex trauma or borderline personality disorder.—
Ascend Agency,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Memoir My Abyss Patrick Cottrell Obsession will always be an attractive fresh hell for a person like me, a product of abandonment with a longing for attachment.—
Max Ufberg,
hazlitt.net,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This evidence was instrumental in establishing negligence.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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Their comments came just a few weeks after a court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with the singer’s passing after a fall from a third-story balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last October.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Harris, a Biden appointee, will serve until her term expires in 2028 unless removed for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
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In January, White pled guilty to two counts of child neglect after initially pleading not guilty to the charges.—
Laura Barcella,
People.com,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Vitamin A toxicity can cause vomiting, nausea, blurry vision, muscle weakness, liver damage and potential brain damage.—
Neha Mukherjee,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Hannah Mckay | Reuters London’s listing problem isn’t limited to the capital, with weakness in the U.S. and Asia too, according to the head of the London Stock Exchange Group.—
Zahra Tayeb,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On the other side of the screen, Ukrainians die, lose territory, see apartment blocks reduced to rubble, consider desertion, and watch the backbone of their western support dissolve.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
15 Feb. 2025
-
During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, desertions and courts-martial were rare, even after years of stalemate.—
Dexter Filkins,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Luther taught instead that God freely forgives the sins of believers.—
Michael Bruening,
The Conversation,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The pope’s hospitalization comes during the Vatican’s celebration of the jubilee, a tradition in the Catholic Church dedicated to the remission of sins that occurs every 50 years.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC News,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Authorities blamed the unrest on armed remnants of the Assad government, but acknowledged that some of the civilian killings were the fault of undisciplined factions or individual actors.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2025
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For example, if an airplane experiences a mechanical failure, the part's manufacturer may be at fault, but the airline bears the brunt of public opinion.—
Chris Novak,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Does the actor looking older than her 21 years (a notion that is, of course, entirely subjective) infer some kind of moral failing?—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
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The study framed their feelings as internal failings rather than responses to external pressures, such as patriarchy and white supremacy, which drive perfectionism.—
Shari Dunn,
TIME,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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