inattention
AmericanEtymology
Origin of inattention
Explanation
When you don't pay full attention to something or someone, that's inattention. Your inattention while you're driving can lead to mistakes like running a red light or bumping into the car in front of you. If you're not focusing on something enough, you're guilty of inattention. Inattention can be dangerous when you're flying a plane, taking a math test, or babysitting an active toddler. When you add the "not" prefix in- to attention (which comes from the Latin attendere, "give heed to," or literally "stretch toward"), you get inattention.
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.
It would take some effort, or at least serious inattention, to kill it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
It is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that can interfere with daily life, including school, work, and relationships.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 17, 2026
Buddy wanted to go out that night, but my father, snapping out of his inattention, said it was out of the question.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025
Prosecutor Adrian Stalker said his driving had been dangerous and was "not just a lack of judgement or momentary inattention".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2025
Fewer words passed between parent and child, but more profound was the silence that resulted from my inattention to sounds.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
