underprotecting
Guarding too little
Underprotecting is failing to provide adequate protection or safeguarding less than circumstances warrant.
Parents may underprotect children by not setting appropriate boundaries, or regulators may underprotect consumers by failing to enforce safety standards.
The term implies a judgment that more protection was needed: The agency was accused of underprotecting workers from toxic exposure.
Lack of something needed
- shortcomingA fault or weakness
- insufficiencyShortfall in amount needed
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
- underfundingInadequate monetary allocation
understaffing · underresourcing · gaps · weakness · unpreparedness · underinvestment · scarcity · deficit
Source of potential harm
- dangerExposure to harm
- perilSerious threat of harm
- jeopardyRisk of harm
- threatIndication of potential harm
liability · exposure · uncertainty · gamble · recklessness · imprudence · misjudgment · shortsightedness
State of being unprotected
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- defenselessnessState of being unprotected
- fragilityEase of breaking
- weaknessDeficiency in force
endangerment · precariousness · unshielded · unsecured · unguarded · undefended · uncovered · accessible
Inattention causing mistakes
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- neglectFailure to provide care
- inattentionLack of focus
- laxityLack of strictness
dereliction · remissness · irresponsibility · omission · disregard · heedlessness · nonchalance · indifference
deficiency
Lack of something needed
- shortcomingA fault or weakness
- insufficiencyShortfall in amount needed
- shortfallFailure to reach quota
underfunding · understaffing · underresourcing · gaps · weakness · unpreparedness · underinvestment · scarcity · deficit
hazard
Source of potential harm
threat · liability · exposure · uncertainty · gamble · recklessness · imprudence · misjudgment · shortsightedness · overconfidence
exposure
State of being unprotected
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- defenselessnessState of being unprotected
- fragilityEase of breaking
weakness · endangerment · precariousness · unshielded · unsecured · unguarded · undefended · uncovered · accessible · penetrable
carelessness
Inattention causing mistakes
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- neglectFailure to provide care
- inattentionLack of focus
laxity · dereliction · remissness · irresponsibility · omission · disregard · heedlessness · nonchalance · indifference · unconcern
underprotectingoverprotecting
Excessive shielding from harm
overparenting · smothering · helicopter parenting · coddling · mollycoddling
under, protect, protecting, protected, protects, protector, protectors, protection, protections