Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Neglect for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Neglect" — verb, pronounced /nɪˈɡlɛkt/, with the stress on "glect".
Narrator: To neglect is to fail to care for, pay attention to or do something properly.
Narrator: In plain English, to neglect is to ignore — like neglecting your garden so it becomes overgrown.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin neglegere, meaning to disregard, from neg-, not, and legere, to gather or read.
Narrator: "To neglect one's duties" describes failing to do what one should do.
Narrator: It differs from ignore because neglect implies a duty, whereas ignore is general.
Narrator: "To neglect a child" is a sense meaning failing to care for a child properly.
Narrator: Law, care, relationships, work and everyday speech all rely on the word neglect.
Narrator: So remember: to neglect is to fail to care, from the Latin for to disregard.
Speaker A: What does neglect mean?
Speaker B: To fail to care! NEGLECT comes from the Latin neglegere, to disregard, from neg- not and legere, to gather, so it means failing to care for or pay attention.
Speaker A: So neglecting a garden means not caring for it?
Speaker B: Yes — letting it go wild!
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "To neglect one's duties"; "neglect a child"; "neglect one's health" — duty, care and wellbeing.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Don't confuse neglect with ignore, because neglect implies a duty, while ignore is general.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: 'Ignore' the general cousin, 'omit' the skipping twin, 'overlook' the missing alternative. The word keeps its careless charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "neglect" in AI prompts — useful for care apps and legal tools.
Speaker A: So a prompt could frame care?
Speaker B: Right. For a care app, you'd write:
Prompt: Write a short guide to preventing child neglect, naming two signs.
Speaker A: How about a legal tool?
Speaker B: Ask the model to advise:
Prompt: Draft a guide to neglect in law, naming two examples.
Speaker A: Could it help with a health bot?
Speaker B: Yes, you can frame wellbeing:
Prompt: Summarise in two sentences what it means to neglect your health, naming one consequence.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: For a workplace chatbot, try this:
Prompt: Write a short note on neglecting duties, naming one effect.
Neglect — meaning in Arabic & definition More N courses GL Dictionary