attention deficit disorder

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

noun

1. ADD.

attention deficit disorder

noun

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

Attention Deficit Disorder

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

Notes

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 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of attention deficit disorder¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

“ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder] is just a euphemistic way of saying, ‘I have limits,’” Brown writes.

From The Daily Beast

Another student, Monica Wilson, says she struggled with attention deficit disorder her freshman year.

From The Daily Beast

Farmer attributes this to the “ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) of humanitarian” operations in Haiti.

From The Daily Beast