negligence
/ˈnɛɡlɪdʒəns/ · neg·li·gence
noun
- The state of being negligent. His negligence in reviewing the contract resulted in costly errors.
- 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. The court awarded damages after finding the landlord's negligence in fixing the broken stair.
- 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. The surgeon's negligence was evident when a surgical instrument was left inside the patient.
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Did you know? The modern doctrine of negligence was famously articulated in the 1932 U.S. case Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad, which shaped how courts assess duty and foreseeability.