inadvertence

[ in-uh d-vur-tns ]

/ ˌɪn ədˈvɜr 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

inadequacy, inadequate, inadequate personality, inadequate stimulus, inadmissible, inadvertence, inadvertency, inadvertent, inadvisable, inalienable, inalterable

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

/ (ˌɪnədˈvɜːtəns) /

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