1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning
the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard
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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
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3
as in neglect
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
both sentries were to be court-martialed for dereliction of duty
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dereliction
There are consequences for dereliction of duty.
—
Saul Elbein, The Hill, 4 Aug. 2025
The Taylor family arrived at their cabin to find it in a state of dereliction.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
One verdict is already declared in the Karen Read murder case: The Massachusetts State Police are guilty in the first degree of dereliction of duty.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 17 June 2025
Her removal was not the result of dereliction of duty or dishonesty, but rather a consequence of her refusal to grant exceptions to the strict policy restrictions governing the expenditure of Union resources, including to those within Fain’s inner circle.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
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Nora, a volatile actress struggling with crippling stage fright, is consumed by deep resentment over her father’s abandonment.—
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Its abandonment, with powder canisters spilling across the rock, suggested that its owner left in haste.—
Noun
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The lawsuit also alleges WSU was liable for claims of outrageous conduct and other forms of negligence.—
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The legal claims included negligence, wrongful death, deceptive trade practices, and product liability.—
Noun
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The sites of protest include small cities such as Abadan and the Kurdish-majority Malekshahi in the southwestern Ilam province, where economic grievances, unemployment, and state neglect are stark.—
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For neighborhood residents, the properties have become symbols of disinvestment and neglect, drawing growing calls for city government to intervene.—
Noun
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The strengths and weaknesses are always shown in a game like this.—
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According to the Mayo Clinic, CMS is caused by a gene change that results in muscle weakness, which worsens with physical activity.—
Noun
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The relative desertion of the streets shows the strategy has paid off.—
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The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office has opened nearly 290,000 criminal cases into soldiers’ absence without leave and desertion up to September, according to the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.—
Noun
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That, plus the lack of talent and cap space thanks to the sins of the Deshaun Watson contract, for which general manager Andrew Berry was somehow spared, makes life difficult for whatever quarterback(s) start for the Browns in 2026.—
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Yet what elevates the show is its focus on gender relations and atoning for the sins of the past, adding layers of depth beyond its lurid plotting and somewhat ridiculousness.—
Noun
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In the past, American capitalism, despite its many faults, had managed to develop a safety net that compensated a little for its exploitations.—
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Jones added that there are hundreds of faults in Southern California.—
Noun
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Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins’ majority owner since 2009, is now looking for his eighth different head coach in a parade of floundering, flailing and failing.—
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Robotics startups typically prefer to show off their research prototypes in videos on social media, offering them the opportunity to show the machines at their best and edit out their failings.—
Cite this Entry
“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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