attention deficit disorder

[ uh-ten-shuhn def-uh-sit dis-awr-der ]

See synonyms for attention deficit disorder on Thesaurus.com

noun

ADD.

Origin of attention deficit disorder

First recorded in 1980–85

Words Nearby attention deficit disorder

attendant
attendee
attending
attent
attention
attention deficit disorder
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
attention-getting
attention line
attention span
attention whore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use attention deficit disorder in a sentence

“ADD [attention deficit disorder] is just a euphemistic way of saying, ‘I have limits,’” Brown writes.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You? | Lizzie Crocker | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Another student, Monica Wilson, says she struggled with attention deficit disorder her freshman year.
Mental-Health Breakdown: When Harvard Fails Its Students | Eliza Shapiro | March 18, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Farmer attributes this to the “ADD (attention deficit disorder) of humanitarian” operations in Haiti.
Haiti's Deadly Cholera Fiasco | Eve Conant | October 24, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for attention deficit disorder

attention deficit disorder

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Attention Deficit Disorder

Attention Deficit Disorder

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

Notes for Attention Deficit Disorder

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.

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