inadvertence

[in-uh d-vur-tns]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inadvertence ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the quality or condition of being inadvertent; heedlessness.

the act or effect of inattention; an oversight.

RELATED WORDS

indifference, omission, oversight

Nearby words

Origin of inadvertence

From the Medieval Latin word inadvertentia, dating back to 1560–70. See inadvertency, -ence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inadvertence

As it was, the eagle eye of Alroy soon detected his inadvertence, and profited by his indiscretion.
Alroy|Benjamin Disraeli
As in law, so in morals, no man need criminate himself, but he who does so by an inadvertence is lost.
One Of Them|Charles James Lever
The thinness of indiscretion and the airy forms of inadvertence are lost and annihilated amid the shadows of the night.
Imogen|William Godwin
Her wounded vanity often beheld an insult in what was probably no more than an inadvertence.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction|Various

"I beg your pardon for my inadvertence, Mr. Verner," was the reply of Dr. Cannonby.
Verner's Pride|Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for inadvertence

inadvertence

inadvertency

noun

lack of attention; heedlessness

an instance or an effect of being inadvertent; oversight; slip

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 inadvertence

inadvertence

mid-15c., from Middle French inadvertance (14c.), from Scholastic Latin inadvertentia, from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + advertentia, from Latin advertere "to direct one's attention to," literally "to turn toward" (see advertise).