1
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning the dereliction by the owners of a once flourishing orchard

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2
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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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 Watching a patient suffer feels like a dereliction of duty to many health care workers. Daniel T. Kim, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025 Even those who generally supported Carlsen were shocked, seeing it not as an example of sportsmanship but as dereliction. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2025 Some of the pillars of this order, like the World Trade Organisation – effectively built by an Irishman (Peter Sutherland) – are in a state of dereliction. Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024 Hugo wrote in voluptuous, righteous prose about Notre-Dame’s dereliction. Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
  • Studies show that children exposed to abuse or high-conflict environments often develop a fear of abandonment and rejection, which can lead to complex trauma or borderline personality disorder.
    Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Memoir My Abyss Patrick Cottrell Obsession will always be an attractive fresh hell for a person like me, a product of abandonment with a longing for attachment.
    Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This evidence was instrumental in establishing negligence.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Their comments came just a few weeks after a court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with the singer’s passing after a fall from a third-story balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina last October.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Criminal Minds actor says a life of neglect and isolation left the dog disconnected.
    Kelli Bender, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • However, unsubstantiated reports of neglect or abuse are erased five years after the conclusion of the investigation.
    Alexandra Koch, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • According to the Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barré is a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves, resulting in weakness, numbness or paralysis.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Countless emergency room visits, unexplained symptoms, body weakness, and pain became my new normal.
    Essence, Essence, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • His desertion is squashed, however, when his fellow soldier Gam Dong-hyuk (Hong Xa-bin) tries to tag along.
    Robert Daniels, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Ukraine faces troop shortages and problems with mobilization and the high numbers of desertions.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • With that said, the overall dearth of humor is a more damning sin.
    Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The new administration is intent on wiping out DEI programs and purging those who supported them, even if their only sin was attending a diversity training seminar.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Authorities blamed the unrest on armed remnants of the Assad government, but acknowledged that some of the civilian killings were the fault of undisciplined factions or individual actors.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
  • For example, if an airplane experiences a mechanical failure, the part's manufacturer may be at fault, but the airline bears the brunt of public opinion.
    Chris Novak, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In recent weeks, the corporation has published two reviews into the historical behavior of presenters Russell Brand and Tim Westwood, both of which revealed failings in BBC processes around complaints handling.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Thankfully, this phone makes up for these failings with a slightly better software update policy.
    Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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