INATTENTION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does inattention mean? 

• INATTENTION (noun)
  The noun INATTENTION has 1 sense:

1. lack of attention

  Familiarity information: INATTENTION used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INATTENTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lack of attention

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("inattention" is a kind of...):

basic cognitive process (cognitive processes involved in obtaining and storing knowledge)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "inattention"):

heedlessness; inattentiveness (a lack of attentiveness (as to children or helpless people))

distraction (an obstacle to attention)

disregard; neglect (lack of attention and due care)

Antonym:

attention (the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others)

 Context examples 

No one made any objection but Marianne, who with her usual inattention to the forms of general civility, exclaimed, Your Ladyship will have the goodness to excuse ME—you know I detest cards.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

So to speak, there was in these respects a curious inattention in my mind.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

We see nothing of them, and this is really an instance of gross inattention.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

She endeavoured to persuade herself that she did not regret it; but she could no longer be blind to Miss Bingley's inattention.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A mental disorder characterized by inattention, easy distraction, careless mistakes and avoidance of tasks that require sustained mental focus.

(Attention Deficit Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, can cause inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

(Brains of Those with ADHD Show Smaller Structures Related to Emotion, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A general deficiency of subject, a total inattention to stops, and a very frequent ignorance of grammar.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The inattention of the two brothers and the aunt to Julia's discomposure, and their blindness to its true cause, must be imputed to the fullness of their own minds.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

This study is the first comprehensive examination of brain structure changes in preschoolers with signs of ADHD, a disorder marked by a pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

(Atypical brain development observed in preschoolers with ADHD symptoms, National Institutes of Health)

A disorder characterized by a marked pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is inconsistent with developmental level and clearly interferes with functioning in at least two settings (e.g. at home and at school).

(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)