Negligence refers to a failure to exercise reasonable care or caution, which results in harm to others. It can be defined as the omission of an act that a reasonably prudent person would do, or the commission of an act that a reasonably prudent person would not do. Negligence is often used interchangeably with terms such as carelessness and recklessness, but there are some key differences between them. Carelessness refers to a lack of attention or thought, while recklessness involves consciously disregarding the potential consequences of one's actions. In contrast, negligence is often characterized by an absence of intentional wrongdoing, but rather a failure to act in a way that would prevent harm to others. Negligence can result in legal liability and may be grounds for civil or criminal action depending on the severity of the consequences.