derelict
derelict Lexical Profile
derelict Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
In a poor, broken-down, or dilapidated condition as a result of abandonment and neglect.
"The city council voted to renovate the derelict warehouse on the waterfront and turn it into a community arts center."
Shamefully negligent or failing to fulfill one's official obligations and duties.
"The audit concluded that the board had been derelict in its responsibility to oversee the company's finances."
• noun
A person without a home, job, or property who lives on the margins of society.
"The nineteenth-century novel vividly portrayed the struggles of urban derelicts seeking shelter during the harsh winter."
A piece of property, especially a ship at sea, that has been completely abandoned by its owner.
"The coast guard cutter towed the wooden derelict into harbor so it would no longer pose a hazard to navigation."
Word Nuance & Usage
When meaning 'remiss or negligent in one's duties,' the adjective 'derelict' is used strictly in the predicate position, typically followed by 'in' (e.g., 'He was derelict in his duty'). As a noun referring to an impoverished or unhoused person, the word carries a dated and pejorative tone in modern usage.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin 'derelictus', the past participle of 'derelinquere' ('to abandon or forsake completely'), formed from 'de-' ('completely') and 'relinquere' ('to leave behind').