neglected duty

USAGE SUMMARY

"neglected duty" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a responsibility that has been overlooked or not fulfilled. An example: "The employee was reprimanded for his neglected duty in completing the project on time." Alternative expressions include "overlooked responsibility" and "abandoned obligation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The second, often neglected duty, is to help restore that autonomy or help establish it when it is absent".

BMJ Open

His treatise Al-Farīḍah al-ghaʾibah (The Neglected Duty, 1986), which urged Muslims to use violence for the purpose of creating an Islamic state, became the group's ideological platform.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The first answer to the question about what was to be done by those who hoped to implement Qutb's vision came a decade and a half after the master's death, with The Neglected Duty, the underground revolutionary working paper of an Egyptian electrical engineer, Muhammad Abd al-Salam Faraj.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Thus, if I decide sinfully to go to the concert tonight — if, say, I am neglecting duties I know should take priority — the sin is mine, not God's.

SEP

The lack of commitment from senior MakCHS and MoH staff demonstrated by absenteeism, neglecting duties, illness, low productivity, and non-attendance at teaching sessions may be related to occupational stress.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Once this duty is reinterpreted, international law allows victim-states to impute state responsibility to host-states that neglected this duty, and respond in self-defense.

Harvard University

Surely, historians have neglected their duty.

The Guardian

Opposition parties, saying that the president neglected his duty, demanded an apology.

The New York Times

"Although they never neglected their duty they have shown always the utmost courtesy and consideration towards me.

The Guardian

In recent weeks we neglected that duty".

BBC

He often neglected his duty to conduct Sunday services, and church attendance declined sharply.

Johns Hopkins University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "neglected duty", ensure the context clearly indicates who was responsible for the duty and what the consequences of its neglect were. This adds clarity and impact to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "neglected duty" without clearly identifying who was responsible for the duty. Ambiguity can weaken your argument and confuse the reader.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "neglected duty" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies a specific responsibility or obligation that has not been adequately fulfilled. Ludwig AI confirms its usage in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "neglected duty" is a noun phrase used to describe a responsibility that has not been adequately fulfilled. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and appears in various contexts, from news to academic writing. While relatively rare, it effectively conveys criticism or highlights failures. Related phrases include "unfulfilled obligation" and "overlooked responsibility". When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying who was responsible for the duty and the resulting consequences. While Ludwig reports that this phrase is correct and usable, consider its formal tone and the weight it carries before employing it in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unfulfilled obligation

Emphasizes the aspect of a duty that has not been carried out.

overlooked responsibility

Highlights the aspect of a duty that was missed or forgotten.

abandoned commitment

Focuses on the deliberate forsaking of a previously agreed-upon task.

dereliction of responsibility

Implies a more severe failure to fulfill a duty, often with negative consequences.

lapsed obligation

Suggests a duty that was previously active but has since been allowed to expire or become inactive.

unattended obligation

Focuses on the aspect of not caring about a duty.

ignored duty

Highlights the active disregard of a responsibility.

shirked responsibility

Suggests an attempt to avoid a duty, often due to laziness or unwillingness.

unperformed task

Focuses on the practical aspect of a duty that remains undone.

outstanding obligation

Emphasizes the ongoing nature of a duty that has not yet been completed.

FAQs

How can I use "neglected duty" in a sentence?

You can use "neglected duty" to describe a responsibility that someone has failed to fulfill. For example, "The investigation revealed the manager's "neglected duty" to oversee safety protocols."

What are some alternatives to "neglected duty"?

Alternatives include "unfulfilled obligation", "overlooked responsibility", or "abandoned commitment", depending on the specific context.

What's the difference between "neglected duty" and "dereliction of duty"?

"Neglected duty" generally implies a failure to fulfill a responsibility, while "dereliction of duty" suggests a more serious and deliberate abandonment of one's responsibilities, often with legal or professional ramifications.

Is "neglected duty" a formal or informal expression?

"Neglected duty" is generally considered a neutral to formal expression, suitable for use in professional, academic, and news contexts.