due care
Legally expected diligence
Due care is the level of attention, caution, or prudence that a reasonable person would exercise in a given situation.
The phrase appears most often in legal contexts, where failure to exercise due care may constitute negligence: The company failed to exercise due care in maintaining the equipment.
In everyday use, it simply means appropriate carefulness: Handle the documents with due care.
- diligenceCareful, persistent effort
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- cautionCareful attention to risk
- vigilanceState of keen awareness
- responsibilityState of being answerable
good faith · liability · standard · reasonable · attention · oversight · risk management · duty · obligation · watchful · thorough · precaution · mindful · conscientious · fiduciary · professional · professional negligence · breach
- accountingbookkeeping, ledger, balance sheet, general ledger, accounts payable
- criminal lawcrime, felony, misdemeanor, murder, robbery
- ethicsmorality, deontology, dignity, sanctity of life, utilitarianism
due carerecklessness
Careless disregard for danger
negligence · carelessness · reckless disregard · gross negligence · heedlessness
due caregross negligence
Severe breach of duty
breach of duty · dereliction of duty · malpractice · criminal negligence · malfeasance
due, care, dues, cared, caring, cares, careful, careless, carefully