endangerment

Everyday

1. Endangerment is putting someone or something in danger. tree →
2. (law) Endangerment is the crime of acting so carelessly that you put another person, especially a child, at serious risk, as in «child endangerment» or «reckless endangerment». tree →

In the lessons

A rare, formal word met in news, law and nature reports; in science it can describe how a species becomes endangered. In stories and the news it tells the reader that someone's careless choices put others at risk, even if nobody was hurt. Phrases: «child endangerment», «reckless endangerment», «endangerment of wildlife».

Examples

• The driver was charged with reckless endangerment. tree →
• Leaving a toddler alone in a hot car is child endangerment. tree →
• Pollution has led to the endangerment of many river fish. tree →
• The report warned about the endangerment of rare birds. tree →
• The judge said the man's actions caused the endangerment of everyone on the bus. tree →
• Cutting down the forest increases the endangerment of orangutans. tree →

Note

Uncountable, formal. Built from «endanger» (to put in danger) + «-ment». Everyday speech usually says «putting people in danger» instead. Do not confuse with «endangered» (an adjective: an endangered species is at risk of dying out).