DERELICT
adjective | DAIR-uh-likt
What It Means
Derelict is a formal word that describes something that is no longer cared for or used by anyone. It can also describe someone who is negligent or who fails to do what needs to be done.
// The kids made sure to stay away from the spooky derelict houses in the neighborhood on Halloween.
// The officers were charged with being derelict in their duty.
Examples of DERELICT
“In a movie that spends most of its time confined to the disorienting guts of a derelict spaceship, tracking Kenneth’s de-evolution from Kennedy wannabe to a used car salesman version of Colonel Kurtz is often the only moral compass we have to find our way towards a better tomorrow.” — David Ehrlich, Indie Wire, 15 Feb. 2025.
Did You Know?
The Latin verb relinquere, meaning “to leave behind,” left English with a number of words, including derelict. Something derelict has been left behind, or at least appears that way. In another sense, someone who is derelict leaves behind or neglects their duties or obligations. Another descendant of relinquere is relinquish, meaning “to leave behind,” “to give up,” or “to release.” Relic also ultimately comes from relinquere. Relics, in the original sense of the term, are things treasured for their association with a saint or martyr—that is, objects saints and martyrs left behind. Relinquere also gives English its name for the containers or shrines which hold relics, reliquary.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
