Main Entry: at·ten·tion

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈten-chən\

Function: noun

1 : the act or state of attending : the application of the mind to any object of sense or thought
2 a : an organismic condition of selective awareness or perceptual receptivity ; specifically : the complex of neuromuscular adjustments that permit maximum excitability or responsiveness to a given class of stimuli b : the process of focusing consciousness to produce greater vividness and clarity of certain of its contents relative to others

—at·ten·tion·al \-ˈtench-nəl, -ˈten-chən-^əl\ adjective