According to Black's Law Dictionary, what is negligence?

Negligence is defined as a failure to exercise a reasonable standard of care that a prudent person would under similar circumstances. This concept focuses on the actions of an individual that fall below the standard expected, which results in harm or damage to another person. In legal contexts, a finding of negligence often involves proving that the individual had a duty to act or refrain from acting, breached that duty through carelessness, and caused injury as a direct result.

The other options pertain to different concepts of liability or responsibility. Performing a duty recklessly or willfully implies a higher degree of intent or disregard for safety, which aligns more with willful misconduct rather than negligence. Deliberately causing harm speaks to intentional torts, where the intent to inflict damage is clear, contrasting with negligence, which does not involve intent to harm. Lastly, conducting oneself with malicious intent describes behaviors motivated by spite or ill will, which does not correlate with the standard care obligations inherent in negligence claims.