/der'euh lik"sheuhn/ , n.
1. deliberate or conscious neglect; negligence; delinquency: dereliction of duty.
2. the act of abandoning something.
3. the state of being abandoned.
4. Law. a leaving dry of land by recession of the water line.
[ 1590-1600; dereliction- (s. of derelictio ) an abandoning, equiv. to derelict ( us ) (see DERELICT) + -ion- -ION ]
Syn. 1. See neglect. 2. desertion.