dereliction
noun /ˌderəˈlɪkʃn/
/ˌderəˈlɪkʃn/
(formal)- [uncountable] the state of land or buildings not being used or cared for and in bad condition
- industrial/urban dereliction
- a house in a state of dereliction
- [uncountable, singular] dereliction of duty (formal or law) the fact of deliberately not doing what you ought to do, especially when it is part of your job
- The police officers were found guilty of serious dereliction of duty.
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Latin derelictio(n-), from the verb derelinquere, from de- ‘completely’ + relinquere ‘forsake’.