definitions

attentive

[ uh-ten-tiv ]
/ əˈtɛn tɪv /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR attentive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

characterized by or giving attention; observant: an attentive audience.
thoughtful of others; considerate; polite; courteous: an attentive host.

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RELATED WORDS

watchful, observant, aware, interested, conscientious, vigilant, devoted, respectful, accommodating, polite, thoughtful, solicitous, courteous, gracious, heedful, alert, awake, fascinated, hooked, immersed

Nearby words

attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention line, attention span, attention-getting, attentive, attentively, attentiveness, attently, attenuant, attenuate

Origin of attentive

1375–1425; late Middle English (Scots) < Middle French; see attent, -ive
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for attentive

British Dictionary definitions for attentive

attentive

/ (əˈtɛntɪv) /

adjective

paying attention; listening carefully; observant
(postpositive often foll by to) careful to fulfil the needs or wants (of); considerate (about)she was always attentive to his needs
Derived Formsattentively, adverbattentiveness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for attentive

attentive

adj.

late 14c. (implied in attentively), from Old French attentif, from Vulgar Latin *attenditus, from Latin attentus "heedful, observant" (see attend). Sense of "actively ministering to the needs and wants" (of another person) is from early 16c. Related: Attentively.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper