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
On Friday, the regular session ended with no action on a state budget, a dereliction of duty that’s becoming increasingly common.
—
Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
On Friday, the regular session ended with no action on a state budget, a dereliction of duty that’s becoming increasingly common.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
The Arizona Republic cites records obtained from the El Paso PD that purportedly include allegations of insubordination, insufficiency, tardiness, and numerous disciplinary reviews related to accusations of excessive force, dereliction of duty, and off-duty gambling.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
This plan, during such a critical period, is nothing less than a dereliction of duty and a further sign of how the Congressional majority is content to be subservient to this administration.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
On Friday, the regular session ended with no action on a state budget, a dereliction of duty that’s becoming increasingly common.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
The Arizona Republic cites records obtained from the El Paso PD that purportedly include allegations of insubordination, insufficiency, tardiness, and numerous disciplinary reviews related to accusations of excessive force, dereliction of duty, and off-duty gambling.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026
This plan, during such a critical period, is nothing less than a dereliction of duty and a further sign of how the Congressional majority is content to be subservient to this administration.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
-
Such a high abandonment rate has only happened once since the Dust Bowl era in 1933 -- in 2022 when drought conditions were at record highs, Riddey said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
But what felt like freedom to me felt like abandonment to the others.—
Kelly Martens-Crompvoets,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Rental companies are typically responsible for mechanical breakdowns that aren’t caused by customer negligence or misuse.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
-
Florida accused OpenAI of four counts of deceptive and unfair trade practices, two counts of negligence, two counts of violating product liability laws, one count of fraudulent misrepresentation and another count of causing a public nuisance.—
Corbin Bolies,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
He has previously been arrested for charges including terroristic threats, assault, child neglect and fraud.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Latana Williams, 27, was arrested and charged with child neglect, a first-degree felony.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Spending has held up, and the economy hasn’t shown the kind of demand collapse that typically accompanies recession-level income weakness.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Oftentimes, people associate apologizing too much as a sign of incompetence, weakness or even behavior that’s annoying.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The core of the story is the desertion and betrayal of Roseanna McCoy by all concerned.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Furthermore, the Ukrainian army is short-handed, facing around 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by around 2 million people, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in January.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My youth was my downfall, my sin love, and the go-between a snowy day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
For pilgrims, Hajj, performed over five days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.—
Baraa Anwer,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, with some caused by arson and others by electrical faults.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
Yes, this viewpoint is that the AI is at fault.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Overall, other countries have already come up with strategies to address the failings seen in the US health system, including reducing healthcare costs, strengthening primary care, and addressing inequities.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
-
The Return On Investment Women in leadership often see experiencing burnout as a personal failing.—
Nakisha Dixon,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
