oblivious
Americanadjective
-
unmindful; unconscious; unaware (usually followed by of orto ).
She was oblivious of his admiration.
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forgetful; without remembrance or memory.
oblivious of my former failure.
-
Archaic. inducing forgetfulness.
adjective
Usage
It was formerly considered incorrect to use oblivious to mean unaware , but this use is now acceptable
Related Words
See absent-minded.
Other Word Forms
- obliviously adverb
- obliviousness noun
- self-oblivious adjective
- semioblivious adjective
- semiobliviously adverb
- unoblivious adjective
- unobliviously adverb
Etymology
Origin of oblivious
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin oblīviōsus “forgetful,” equivalent to oblīvī(scī) “to forget” + -ōsus -ous ( 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.
In another example cited by Judge Benitez, the parents “remained oblivious” as the school “accepted and perpetuated” a seventh-grader’s social transition from girl to boy.
An airship crashes into the ocean with three golfers apparently oblivious as they hole out on a seaside course.
From BBC
Otherwise, Aled was enjoying the idea of being a father, so he put it down to normal first-time dad nerves, oblivious to the mental health struggles he was yet to face.
From BBC
He has often claimed to be oblivious to criticism that has come his way throughout his England career.
From BBC
Amazon isn’t oblivious to the buyer’s remorse that can follow too much impulse purchasing.
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.
