disregard

1 of 2

verb

dis·​re·​gard ˌdis-ri-ˈgärd How to pronounce disregard (audio)
disregarded; disregarding; disregards

transitive verb

: to pay no attention to : treat as unworthy of regard or notice
Please disregard what I said in my last email.
He disregarded her advice.

disregard

2 of 2

noun

: the act of treating someone or something as unworthy of regard or notice : the state of being disregarded (see disregard entry 1) : neglect
showed a complete disregard for the rules
disregardful adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for disregard

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention.

neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

Examples of disregard in a Sentence

Verb Please disregard what I said before. He disregarded his father's advice and left school. Some students completely disregard the rules of the school. Noun They treated the rules with complete disregard. revelers firing guns in the air with complete disregard for the possible consequences
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The rest of the special gives its young viewers a decoder ring for those messages, and permission to disregard them. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The GOP lawmakers argue only the courts can decide whether to disregard a county's votes — a requirement that would limit Fontes' power. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Social media’s critics say these instances were examples of negligence on behalf of the social-media companies that disregarded warning signs about the negative consequences their products might have on minors. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 Finally, the thing about leadership that is often disregarded, but is perhaps most important, is that effective leadership always begins with service. Arash Vossoughi, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 But the 80-page report paints a portrait of a medical team that often disregarded rules intended to protect patients. Michael Kranish, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Burke, however, disregarded the order and continued across the open lake, the society said. Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 Please disregard this email as it was sent out in error. Taesik Yoon, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Despite our efforts to share this evidence with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, our attempts have been disregarded, as Mr. Blackburn has chosen not to return our calls. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
After all, who would be inclined to invest in a climate where political and social instability prevail and those in power disregard the fundamental principles of economic freedom and financial integrity? Zenger News, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 David plays an exaggerated version of himself as a cranky, semi-retired television writer and producer with a total disregard for social conventions. Kelly Martinez, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024 In an era of misinformation, distrust, and disregard for evidence, the work of scientists is more critical than ever. Philip Distefano, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Deputies located and attempted to stop the vehicle at Big Basin Way and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, but the driver fled with wanton disregard for public safety and was later apprehended in the city of Los Gatos after colliding with a fence. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024 Amid the furor, no one appears to have noticed that Project Maven fit into the grand tradition of many other high-tech weapons projects: ecstatic claims of prowess coupled with a disregard for real-world experience. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Jan. 2024 The evidence of Cox’s complete disregard for copyright law and copyright owners has not changed. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 Feeling Undervalued By a significant margin, the number one root cause identified was women feeling deeply undervalued in their STEM roles, either through overt slights or subtle patterns of disregard. Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Maladministration, incompetence, and a blatant disregard for the American people’s wishes are notably absent from the list. Ken Buck, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disregard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1613, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disregard was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near disregard

Cite this Entry

“Disregard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disregard. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disregard

1 of 2 verb
dis·​re·​gard ˌdis-ri-ˈgärd How to pronounce disregard (audio)
: to pay no attention to : treat as unworthy of regard or notice

disregard

2 of 2 noun
: the act of disregarding : the state of being disregarded
disregardful adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on disregard

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