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 Okay, that seems like a dereliction of duty. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025 The implication is that this dereliction explains why the institution is inert and unresponsive to the American people. Lorelei Kelly, The Conversation, 24 Jan. 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 See All Example Sentences for dereliction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dereliction
Noun
  • The abandonment of past constraints like the Conrad Rule has created a loophole, enabling legislators to use reconciliation to enact policies that could harm the nation’s fiscal outlook, simply by demonstrating fiscal impact.
    Doug Criscitello, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • The Women’s Comprehensive Care Window offers psychological counseling, legal assistance, referral to shelters and specialized services for women facing violence, discrimination or abandonment.
    Alicia G Kerber Palma, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Fowler could not determine whether this was the result of negligence or an operation with malicious intent.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025
  • Wyden is demanding the public release of an unclassified 2022 report that allegedly outlines years of cybersecurity negligence by major U.S. telecom companies.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • The resulting breakdown is one of the series' most painful moments, with Pacey begging for answers to a lifetime of neglect.
    Jen Juneau, People.com, 24 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, urban poverty deepened, and some Black tenants accused Jewish landlords of neglect or profiteering — charges that sparked anger and occasionally violence in places like Chicago’s Lawndale and Newark’s Central Ward.
    Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • While the dollar strengthened for the second day on Wednesday, Jefferies thinks the greenback could be in for an extended period of weakness.
    Michelle Fox, CNBC, 28 May 2025
  • One weakness in Capture One's utility as a workflow solution has been its lack of sharing to established online photo venues, but there's a ray of light on this count.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • The details of the charges are not yet clear, but one commander was arrested for not informing the authorities about a mass desertion of troops, Ukrainian outlet Suspilne reported.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Lucia accuses Maggie of desertion at one point in this week’s episode despite Maggie not actually trying to desert.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • And the sin that Crespo supposedly committed to warrant banishment?
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
  • For his part, Misch has not come close to showing remorse nor confessing his sins.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • But now that the game is in the wild, fans are finding the same faults, and as a percentage, their scores are even lower.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • But the latest test did not have the same fault, allowing fuel to be vented away from the engine safely and preventing the collapsing ship from exploding.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • If this story were a parable, our hero would likely suffer some ignoble end as punishment for his moral failings.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 13 May 2025
  • In this newest cover-up, Clooney repeats his film’s original failing — its nostalgic salute to the power of electronic media suasion.
    Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dereliction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dereliction. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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