Neglect is treating someone or something carelessly; not paying them proper attention or looking after their needs.
The word can be a noun or a verb. It is most often used in the context of looking after vulnerable people, such as children, eg:
_She neglected her children's health, failing to notice when they were ill
_He was taken to court for wilful neglect of his children. (Neglect is different from abuse in a legal context, because it implies that the person did nothing - good or bad - whereas abuse would mean that he actively mistreated them.)
The word is also commonly used to describe a failure to look after non-human or inanimate things. For instance, a neglected garden is one where the grass is never cut, the weeds aren't pulled up etc. If you neglect your appearance, you don't keep clean and tidy, trim your hair etc.
It can also mean something like "forget" eg: "He described his job but neglected to mention where he worked."
The word can be a noun or a verb. It is most often used in the context of looking after vulnerable people, such as children, eg:
_She neglected her children's health, failing to notice when they were ill
_He was taken to court for wilful neglect of his children. (Neglect is different from abuse in a legal context, because it implies that the person did nothing - good or bad - whereas abuse would mean that he actively mistreated them.)
The word is also commonly used to describe a failure to look after non-human or inanimate things. For instance, a neglected garden is one where the grass is never cut, the weeds aren't pulled up etc. If you neglect your appearance, you don't keep clean and tidy, trim your hair etc.
It can also mean something like "forget" eg: "He described his job but neglected to mention where he worked."
