Etymology
Origin of attentively
First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English; attentive ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Grier, who sold her CPA practice a few years ago to become a financial adviser, found that listening attentively enabled her to forge a connection with jittery taxpayers.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
"President Trump was listening attentively and running the entire three-hour marathon cabinet meeting," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday.
From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025
Seema pretends to listen attentively until neither she nor we can take it anymore.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2025
Other visitors sit attentively, following the step-by-step tutorials on how to use a drum machine or create a sample.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025
He read it quietly, attentively, waiting, sharing her pain.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
