recklessness

Alternative forms

• rechlessness, retchlessness (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English reklesnes, reklesnesse, rekelesnesse (also assibiliated as rechelesnes, reccheleesnesse), from Old English rēcelēasnes (“recklessness, carelessness, negligence”), equivalent to reckless +‎ -ness.

Noun

recklessness (usually uncountable, plural recklessnesses)

1. The state or quality of being reckless or heedless, of taking unnecessary risks.

   His recklessness repeatedly put him in danger.

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 228:

     At such times, how we marvel at our usual recklessness, and pause, as it were, shrinking from the busy and inevitable current which is hurrying us on to eternity!

   • 2009 March 29, John F. Burns, “Anglo-American Capitalism on Trial”, in The New York Times‎:

     Partly because of the heavy burden of government debt built up during his stewardship, and the uncurbed recklessness of the country’s banks, Britain’s recession is already the harshest in Western Europe.