1. failure to provide for the basic needs of a person in one’s care. The neglect may be emotional (e.g., rejection or apathy), material (e.g., withholding food or clothing), or service-oriented (e.g., depriving of education or medical attention). See child neglect; elder neglect. See also maltreatment.

2. a neurological syndrome characterized by lack of awareness of a specific area of the visual field (visual neglect) or side of the body (unilateral neglect). This is most often associated with an injury to the right cerebral hemisphere with corresponding left-sided neglect. Neglect has also been found in auditory, tactile, and proprioceptive tasks. See also motor neglect; sensory neglect.