oblivious
Americanadjective
-
unmindful; unconscious; unaware (usually followed by of orto ).
She was oblivious of his admiration.
-
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. )
Explanation
If you don't notice or aren't aware, it means that the adjective oblivious applies to you! When we think of the adjective oblivious, it is usually in situations that involve being totally unaware of what's staring us right in the face. It can also mean being forgetful and absent-minded. The cartoon character Mr. Magoo is a perfect example of someone who is oblivious; his eyesight is so bad that he always gets himself into various scrapes and mishaps. For example, Mr. Magoo mistakes an airplane for a theater and instead of watching a movie, he takes a seat on a departing airplane!
Vocabulary lists containing oblivious
List 4
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A Raisin in the Sun
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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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 a season of Hollywood marked by mega-mergers from well-funded nepo children, there is something timely about these oblivious creatures smashing up a printing press and a broadcast studio.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
In rare cases, a judge alone may preside over a trial in Australia, but if the case is heard before a jury, finding one oblivious to Roberts-Smith will be a challenge.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
We rushed into the decision giddy about the project, thrilled to have outflanked our competition at Universal Studios and, alas, oblivious to the potential ramifications.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
“But on any given day, financial investors are in fact oblivious to fundamental shifts in global alignments or worrying attacks on U.S. institutions,” he writes.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
Traft’s cowboys came to stand behind him, apparently oblivious to the music that signaled a lively dance called the racket.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
