neglected child
Uncared-for minor
A neglected child is one whose basic needs—food, shelter, medical care, supervision, emotional support—are not adequately met by caregivers.
The term appears in legal and social work contexts to describe situations warranting intervention: The caseworker documented evidence of a neglected child.
Neglect differs from abuse in emphasizing absence of care rather than active harm, though the line often blurs.
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- left behindAbandoned or forgotten
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- unlovedReceiving no affection
- lonelyWanting companionship
hungry · dirty · bruised · silent · cries for help · invisible · foster · foster care · orphan · welfare · trauma · abuse · broken home · scared · thin · withdrawn · watchful · old soul
- abandoned childrenorphan, foundling, waif, abandonment, desertion
- birth orderfirstborn, lastborn, eldest, youngest, oldest
- Adlerian psychologyinferiority complex, superiority complex, birth order, lifestyle, encouragement
neglect, neglected, neglecting, neglects, neglectful, neglectfully, neglectfulness, negligent, negligence