dereliction

[ der-uh-lik-shuh n ]
/ ˌdɛr əˈlɪk ʃən /

noun

deliberate or conscious neglect; negligence; delinquency: dereliction of duty.
the act of abandoning something.
the state of being abandoned.
Law. a leaving dry of land by recession of the water line.

Origin of dereliction

1590–1600; < Latin dērelictiōn- (stem of dērelictiō) an abandoning, equivalent to dērelict(us) (see derelict) + -iōn- -ion

SYNONYMS FOR dereliction

1 See neglect.
2 desertion.

Example sentences from the Web for dereliction

British Dictionary definitions for dereliction

dereliction
/ (ˌdɛrɪˈlɪkʃən) /

noun

deliberate, conscious, or wilful neglect (esp in the phrase dereliction of duty)
the act of abandoning or deserting or the state of being abandoned or deserted
law
  1. accretion of dry land gained by the gradual receding of the sea or by a river changing its course
  2. the land thus left