neglectful
UK[nɪˈɡlektfl]US[nɪˈɡlektfl]
adj
failing to give proper care or attention to someone or something
adj
habitually not doing something that should be done
Morpheme Breakdown
neglect
ful
neglect
to disregard
ful
full of
Etymology
the word 'neglectful' is a relatively modern english formation, built upon the existing verb 'neglect'. the verb itself originates from the latin neglegere, a compound of neg- (a variant of 'not') and legere (meaning 'to pick up, gather, choose'). the literal sense was 'not to pick up', which evolved into the figurative meaning 'to disregard or pay no attention to'. the adjectival suffix '-ful', of germanic origin, was appended to this verb root in english to create an adjective meaning 'characterized by neglect' or 'full of disregard'. thus, the term logically describes a person or behavior that is imbued with the quality of failing to care for or attend to duties.
Analysis
Structure: neglect (to disregard) + ful (full of)
neglect (from latin neglegere, meaning 'to disregard', acting as the core verb root); ful (from old english -ful, an adjective-forming suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by').
Examples
she was neglectful of her duties, often missing important deadlines.
the report criticized the neglectful maintenance of the public park.
he was a kind but neglectful father, frequently forgetting school events.