negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.
negligent about writing a note of thanks
neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.
a society callously neglectful of the poor
lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.
a reporter lax about accurate quotation
slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.
slack workmanship
remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.
had been remiss in their familial duties
Examples of remiss in a Sentence
It would be remiss of me if I did not share with you the vital role God has played in my recovery.—Jennifer Howard, Undoing Time, 2001But if we do not address these complexities in the public arena, and in ways that are spatially theoretically grounded, we will be remiss in carrying out our scholarly and civic responsibilities.—Saul B. Cohen, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, December 1991"Well, Sally, I'm in fault, and I acknowledge it; I've been remiss; but I won't let tomorrow go by without stopping up them holes."—Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1885
I would be remiss if I didn't tell you how much I appreciated the lovely gift.
Recent Examples on the WebWhile November may seem quite a ways away, the U.S. general election is quickly approaching, and employers would be remiss to ignore how the tense political climate could impact the workplace.—Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Fans of Thomas Ligotti and lovers of nihilistic noir would be remiss to skip this dark gem.—Gabino Iglesias, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2023 Quebec is the world’s largest producer of maple syrup, so travelers would be remiss not to sample the province's liquid gold.—Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2023 Mexican federal prosecutors have said Garduño was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agency’s detention centers.—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 24 Apr. 2023 Federal prosecutors said late Tuesday that Garduño was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agency’s detention centers.—María Verza and Sonia Pérez D., Anchorage Daily News, 13 Apr. 2023 Federal prosecutors said late Tuesday that Garduño was remiss in not preventing the disaster in Ciudad Juarez despite earlier indications of problems at his agency's detention centers.—María Verza and Sonia Pérez D., USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2023 This might have been what the specifications said to do (again, though, the specs were remiss in not taking into account the timing and feasibility factors).—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 An Italian company called Paoli (founded in 1968 by Dino Paoli) supplies wheel guns for all ten teams on the Formula 1 grid—we’d be remiss not to mention that Paoli also supplies wheel guns to American series like Indycar and NASCAR.—Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 30 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'remiss.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English remisse, borrowed from Latin remissus "relaxed, free from constraint, casual, lenient," from past participle of remittere "to send back, release, relax, ease off" — more at remit entry 1
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