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• attention deficit disorder
  attention deficit disorder

  noun

  ADD.
• Attention Deficit Disorder
  Attention Deficit Disorder

  A disorder characterized by a difficulty in retaining focus, especially on tasks, for long periods of time.

attention deficit disorder

American  

[uh-ten-shuhn def-uh-sit dis-awr-der] / əˈtɛn ʃən ˈdɛf ə sɪt dɪsˌɔr dər /

noun

1. ADD.

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attention deficit disorder British  

noun

1.  ADD.  a disorder, particularly of children, characterized by excessive activity and inability to concentrate on one task for any length of time

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Attention Deficit Disorder Cultural  

1. A disorder characterized by a difficulty in retaining focus, especially on tasks, for long periods of time.

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One of the most common reasons children are brought into therapy, ADD is often treated with the somewhat controversial drug Ritalin®, which is thought to work by stimulating the attention-focusing structures of the brain.

Etymology

Origin of attention deficit disorder

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

In her early teens, her parents say, she began showing signs of borderline personality disorder, attention deficit disorder and depression.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

There remains no settled science on a causal link between Tylenol and autism or attention deficit disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Figures were also far higher for pupils with additional learning needs, including those with attention deficit disorder.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024

The company wanted to exclude the opinions of experts in a multijurisdictional against it on whether in-utero exposure to acetaminophen, the pain reliever used in Tylenol, could lead to autism or attention deficit disorder.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 19, 2023

For her, like Dr. Gazzaley, the applications are potentially widespread—someday we may be able to treat attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, and attention-related memory loss without drugs, which can have side effects.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel