I. ˈderəˌlikt adjective
Etymology: Latin derelictus, past participle of derelinquere to forsake wholly, abandon, from de- + relinquere to leave — more at relinquish
1. : abandoned especially by the owner or occupant : forgotten , unused , run-down
a derelict hill farm
books that lie derelict on the top shelf
a house now derelict beyond redemption — Country Life
2. : lacking in a sense of duty : remiss , neglectful
school boards that were derelict in opening and maintaining public schools — C.S.Stine
voters who feel that they would somehow be derelict in their civic duty … if they did not vote selectively — R.H.Rovere
derelict behavior toward racial minorities — H.L.Ickes
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : a thing voluntarily abandoned or willfully cast away by its owner with the intention of not retaking it and rightly claimed by the first person who takes possession of it ; specifically : a boat abandoned on the high seas
b. : a tract of land left dry by the sea or other body of water receding from its former bed
2. : a person abandoned or forgotten : one that is not a responsible or acceptable member of society
chronic ne'er-do-wells, useless derelicts of society, seldom hired and then not for long — F.L.Allen