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Dereliction vs Negligence - What's the difference?

dereliction | negligence |

As nouns the difference between dereliction and negligence

is that dereliction is willful neglect of one's duty while negligence is the state of being negligent.

dereliction

English

Noun

  • willful neglect of one's duty
  • The new soldier did not clean his cabin and was scolded for dereliction and disobedience.
    What he did was a terrible dereliction of duty.
  • the act of abandoning something, or the state of being abandoned
  • negligence

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • The state of being negligent.
  • (legal, singulare tantum) The tort whereby a duty of reasonable care was breached, causing damage: any conduct short of intentional or reckless action that falls below the legal standard for preventing unreasonable injury.
  • (legal, uncountable) The breach of a duty of care: the failure to exercise a standard of care that a reasonable person would have in a similar situation.
  • Usage notes

    * The breach of a duty of care is one element of the tort of negligence, but is also called (term); one must therefore take care to clarify what is meant.