Failing to give proper care or attention to something that you're responsible for; careless or irresponsible.
From Latin 'negligens' (careless), combining 'ne-' (not) + 'legere' (to choose or care for). Someone who is negligent refuses to care for their responsibilities.
In law, there's a huge difference between being 'negligent' (careless) and 'reckless' (deliberately dangerous)—negligence costs money in lawsuits, but recklessness can lead to criminal charges!
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