Word
derelict
US/ˈdɛɹəˌɫɪkt/
UK/dˈɛɹɪlˌɪkt/
Definition
adj. describing a building or piece of land that is in very bad condition because it has been ignored for a long time.
adj. in a state of advanced physical decay or neglect; abandoned by an owner or occupant. Often used to describe urban infrastructure or maritime vessels.
Examples
“The old factory has been derelict for over twenty years.”
“Local teenagers often hang out in the derelict warehouse at the edge of the industrial estate.”
“The city council is under increasing pressure to repurpose derelict properties in the downtown core to address the growing housing crisis.”
Examples
simple
“The old factory has been derelict for over twenty years.”
contextual
“Local teenagers often hang out in the derelict warehouse at the edge of the industrial estate.”
complex
“The city council is under increasing pressure to repurpose derelict properties in the downtown core to address the growing housing crisis.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'remain' or 'stand'.
Real-World Examples
“Not so long ago, the first impression for visitors arriving by train to Bristol’s main railway station was a derelict building described by David Cameron as looking like the entrance to a war zone.” “On 5 August, a piece of a derelict SpaceX rocket traveling at 5,400 miles an hour met with the moon and punched a fresh hole into it near Einstein Crater .” Etymology
PIE word *de The adjective and verb are a learned borrowing from Latin dērelictus (“(completely) abandoned, deserted, forsaken; discarded”), the perfect passive participle of dērelinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake; to discard”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘away from; completely, thoroughly’) + relinquō (“to abandon, desert, forsake, leave (behind); to depart (from); to give up, relinquish”) (from Proto-Italic wrelinkʷō, from wre (“again”) (whence Latin rē- (prefix meaning ‘again’)) + linkʷō (“to leave”) (whence linquō (“to forsake; depart from, leave, quit”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European leykʷ- (“to leave”))). Doublet of relict, relic, and relinquish. The noun is derived from the adjective.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/derelict