as in negligence
the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action
you can sue for nonfeasance if the company doesn't fulfill the contract
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Recent Examples of nonfeasance
The governor may be impeached for malfeasance or nonfeasance in the performance of official duties.
—
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
In ruling on nonfeasance, the courts would have to weigh whether lawmakers have repeatedly failed to do their official duties, said Jason Marisam, an associate professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul and former Minnesota assistant attorney general.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2025
Finally, Fauci’s role in this miasma remains unclear — in part because of his obfuscation and in part the nonfeasance of scientific journalists who for years haven’t aggressively pursued COVID-19’s origin story.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
The response says Paul was suspended for gross misconduct, neglect of duty, nonfeasance and failure of good behavior.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2024
In practice, our too-complex system degrades just about every public responsibility into nonfeasance.
—Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 1 June 2022
The institution is one of the largest banks in the U.S. and an ongoing source of some difficult to differentiate apparent combination of misfeasance, nonfeasance, and malfeasance.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021
However, Albertson ruled that misfeasance and nonfeasance are not listed as crimes under Virginia’s state code, according to attorneys for the defendants.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2019
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
In ruling on nonfeasance, the courts would have to weigh whether lawmakers have repeatedly failed to do their official duties, said Jason Marisam, an associate professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul and former Minnesota assistant attorney general.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2025
Finally, Fauci’s role in this miasma remains unclear — in part because of his obfuscation and in part the nonfeasance of scientific journalists who for years haven’t aggressively pursued COVID-19’s origin story.
—Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
The response says Paul was suspended for gross misconduct, neglect of duty, nonfeasance and failure of good behavior.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2024
In practice, our too-complex system degrades just about every public responsibility into nonfeasance.
—Daniel Henninger, WSJ, 1 June 2022
The institution is one of the largest banks in the U.S. and an ongoing source of some difficult to differentiate apparent combination of misfeasance, nonfeasance, and malfeasance.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2021
However, Albertson ruled that misfeasance and nonfeasance are not listed as crimes under Virginia’s state code, according to attorneys for the defendants.
—Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonfeasance
Noun
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The lawsuit accuses the hotel's ownership and management of negligence in connection with the incident last July.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The jury in Los Angeles found that Meta and YouTube were negligent in the design of their platforms, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to the plaintiff.—
Tim Smith,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The law also explicitly states that allowing a reasonably capable child to walk to school or travel to a nearby park unsupervised does not, by itself, constitute neglect.—
Stephen Johnson,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonfeasance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonfeasance. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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