dereliction

noun

der·​e·​lic·​tion ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən How to pronounce dereliction (audio)
ˌde-rə-
1
a
: an intentional abandonment
b
: the state of being abandoned
2
: a recession of water leaving permanently dry land
3
a
: intentional or conscious neglect : delinquency
dereliction of duty

Examples of dereliction in a Sentence

the dereliction of a cause by its leaders The officer was formally charged with dereliction of duty. a serious dereliction of duty
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The damage done to his kids here stems from his own dereliction of parental duties. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024 About a month after the shooting, the 46-year-old Coy was arrested and indicted on charges of murder, reckless homicide, felonious assault and two counts of dereliction of duty. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2024 In that idiosyncratic way, My eyes (and feet) are sensitive to the quality of the road surface, pollution and to the appearance of new buildings and signs of dereliction (Berlin scores on both counts). Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024 The Deb is set, is a small town recovering from a years-long drought and dereliction of duty by national ministries. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for dereliction 

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dereliction was in 1597

Dictionary Entries Near dereliction

Cite this Entry

“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dereliction. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dereliction

noun
der·​e·​lic·​tion ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən How to pronounce dereliction (audio)
1
: the act of abandoning : the state of being abandoned
the dereliction of a cause by its leaders
2
: neglect of one's duty

Legal Definition

dereliction

noun
der·​e·​lic·​tion ˌder-ə-ˈlik-shən How to pronounce dereliction (audio)
1
a
: an intentional abandonment
b
: a state of being abandoned
2
: a recession of water leaving permanently dry land
3
: an intentional or conscious neglect
dereliction of duty
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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