laches

noun /ˈlætʃɪz/

1. Negligence in one's duty.

   But there was a quality in Mary that did not lightly invite to gallantry—a gravity and a balance that, had he looked closely into the matter, might have explained his laches.

2. An unreasonable delay in bringing a claim alleging a wrong, which means the person who waited shall not be permitted to seek an equitable remedy because the delay prejudiced the moving party.

   It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney.

Where it comes from

From Anglo-Norman laches, from Old French lachesse (“laxness”), from laschier, from Vulgar Latin laxico, frequentative of Latin laxo (“relax, moderate, weaken”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry laches (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← lachanophobialachesism →

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