NEGLEGENTIA

neglegentia (neg-li-jen-shee-<<schwa>>), n.[Latin] Roman law. Carelessness; inattentive omission. • Neglegentia can be of varying degrees, which may or may not result in actionable liability. — Also spelled negligentia. See CULPA. Cf. DILIGENTIA.

“In the sources negligentia is tantamount to culpa, and similarly graduated (magna, lata negligentia). Precision in terminology is no more to be found here than in the field of culpa. One text declares … ‘gross negligence (magna negligentia) is culpa, magna culpa is dolus’; another says: ‘gross negligence (dissoluta negligentia) is near to dolus (prope dolum).’ In the saying ‘lata culpa is exorbitant (extreme) negligence, i.e., not to understand (intelligere) what all understand’ …negligentia is identified with ignorance.” Adolf Berger, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Roman Law 593 (1953).

lata neglegentia (lay-t<<schwa>> neg-li-jen-shee-<<schwa>>). Extreme negligence resulting

from an unawareness of something that the actor should have known.

magna neglegentia (mag-n<<schwa>> neg-li-jen-shee-<<schwa>>). See gross negligence

under NEGLIGENCE.

[Blacks Law 8th]