1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dereliction
Ernst charged public employees with widespread absenteeism and dereliction of duty.
—
Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Amid this strangulation, Californication, and dereliction, Governor Moore loudly proclaims that the solution is growth.
—John Teichert, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
Lawmakers diagnosed that the principal government dereliction had been the failure to ensure that intelligence was shared across agencies.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Mar. 2025
Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers.
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
Amid this strangulation, Californication, and dereliction, Governor Moore loudly proclaims that the solution is growth.
—John Teichert, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2025
Lawmakers diagnosed that the principal government dereliction had been the failure to ensure that intelligence was shared across agencies.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Mar. 2025
Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers.
—Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
-
But that still didn’t make up for the abandonment felt by a town whose rhythms for generations revolved around regular papal visits.—
Dario Artale,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
-
Now 18, the Ethiopia native who was adopted by the Bevins in 2012 and filed for an emergency protective order earlier this month is seeking long-term protective orders against them over his allegations of abuse and abandonment.—
Lucas Aulbach,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
There had to be some human hand at work engineering this great misfortune — even if only through negligence.—
The Editors,
National Review,
7 July 2025
-
The lawsuit alleges negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligence, according to the Connecticut Mirror. Anthony Spinella, her attorney, told the Connecticut Mirror that Ortiz was seeking $3 million in damages.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
In 2023, allegations of abuse and neglect emerged from a congregate care home in Harwinton that served teenage girls.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
-
Jail records show the mother was charged with neglect of a dependent.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in my responses and give me tips for responding with a problem-solving, curious mindset next time.—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The currency pair is expected to swing both ways as the Taiwan dollar gets caught between speculation of central bank intervention and weakness in the greenback, Lim added.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
During the Civil War, firing squads were common for executing soldiers for desertion; in some cases, they would be blindfolded and tied to stakes before being shot.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC News,
2 Mar. 2025
-
The arrests come amid growing public pressure for action against commanders seen as incompetent or careless as desertions rise in the Ukrainian Army.—
Maria Varenikova,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
As a result, anyone who sought treatment for a physical illness at St. Leonard’s Hospital first had to confess their sins and have their soul cleansed.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 June 2025
-
The Lorde’s Virgin birth came on June 27, and it was born with sin.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
But these apocalyptic conditions aren’t the fault of a nearby black hole.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
2 July 2025
-
Waymo vehicles have not been found at fault for a major collision resulting in injury or death and are now deployed in major cities including Austin, San Francisco and Los Angeles.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
An independent inquiry into Wallace’s conduct on MasterChef will be published imminently, while next week, the BBC is expected to release an internal review into the failings that led to documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, being narrated by the child of a Hamas minister.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
9 July 2025
-
This is the 10th fine the FCA has imposed on a bank for similar failings with financial crimes in the last four years.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://x0upouf933.proxynodejs.usequeue.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share