Meaning

noun lack of attention and due care

noun the state of something that has been unused and neglected

noun willful lack of care and attention

originThe verb is inherited from Middle English neglect, neclect, derived from Latin neglēctus, perfect passive participle of neglegō (“to make light of, disregard, not to pick up”), itself from nec (“not”) + legō (“to pick up, select”). The noun is from neglēctus (“neglect”). First attested in 1460, the noun in 1588.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0