attention

noun at·ten·tion \ ə-ˈten(t)-shən ; sense 4 often (ə-)ˌten(ch)-ˈhət \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of attention

1 a : the act or state of applying the mind to something

Our attention was on the game.

You should pay attention to what she says.

b : a condition of readiness for such attention involving especially a selective narrowing or focusing of consciousness and receptivity

Students, do I have your attention?

2 : observation, notice; especially : consideration with a view to action

a problem requiring prompt attention

3 a : an act of civility or courtesy especially in courtship

She welcomed his attentions.

b : sympathetic consideration of the needs and wants of others : attentiveness

She lavished attention on her children.

4 : a position assumed by a soldier with heels together, body erect, arms at the sides, and eyes to the front

(US) The troops stood at attention. = (British) The troops stood to attention.

—often used as a command

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attentional

play \-ˈten(t)-sh(ə-)nəl\ adjective

See attention defined for English-language learners

See attention defined for kids

Examples of attention in a Sentence

We focused our attention on this particular poem.
My attention wasn't really on the game.
You need to pay more attention in school.
She likes all the attention she is getting from the media.
The actor avoids drawing attention to himself.
The book has received national attention.
The trial is getting a lot of public attention.
The children were competing for the teacher's attention.
A cat on a leash is sure to attract attention.
I would like to call your attention to a problem we are having.

Recent Examples of attention from the Web

The district has a long list of repairs to be completed over the next few years, many brought to Burkhart's attention by custodians, maintenance workers, teachers and others.

— alyssa alfano, cleveland.com, "Medina City School District makes plans for summer construction," 11 Apr. 2018
Donnie says their business mixes Signal 88's technology and national presence with personal attention to the customer.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Brothers' security firm named Signal 88 Franchisees of the Year," 11 Apr. 2018
Russia later acknowledged that five of the dead were Russian citizens, but the incident drew little attention and Moscow did not publicly complain, in part because the deconfliction line was used to try to warn the column away.

— david s. cloud, latimes.com, "As Trump considers military action on Syria, Pentagon worries it could put Russian soldiers in the crosshairs," 11 Apr. 2018
Even amid a spate of revivals and reboots, Netflix has been inordinately aggressive about leveraging such built-in equity to garner attention.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Lost in Space' gets retrofitted for splashy launch on Netflix," 11 Apr. 2018
But Trump's statements to his advisers have been significant enough to attract attention from Mueller himself.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Trump sought to fire Mueller in December," 11 Apr. 2018
Most attention instead now focuses on the young leader of the maverick Five Star Movement (M5S), Luigi Di Maio.

— The Economist, "Italy struggles to form a government," 11 Apr. 2018
National Democrats are setting their sights on an attention-grabbing name to replace Elizabeth Esty on the ticket in the 5th District — one of the best pick-up opportunities for Republicans this year in Congress.

— neil vigdor, courant.com, "Democrats Hope To Use Name Recognition To Fill Elizabeth Esty's Seat," 11 Apr. 2018
The Millcreek Township School District outside of Erie gained attention this week for handing out the 16-inch bats to about 500 teachers as part of a training that included how to react during a school shooting.

— NBC News, "Pennsylvania school district arms teachers with small baseball bats as 'last resort'," 11 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'attention.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of attention

Middle English attencioun, from Latin attention-, attentio, from attendere — see attend

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

attention Synonyms

ATTENTION Defined for English Language Learners

attention

noun

Definition of attention for English Language Learners

: the act or power of carefully thinking about, listening to, or watching someone or something
: notice, interest, or awareness
: special care or treatment

ATTENTION Defined for Kids

attention

noun at·ten·tion \ ə-ˈten-shən \

Definition of attention for Students

1 : the act or the power of fixing the mind on something : careful listening or watching

Pay attention to what happens next.

2 : notice, interest, or awareness

attract attention

3 : careful thinking about something so as to be able to take action on it

This matter requires immediate attention.

4 : special care or treatment

His scrape did not require medical attention.

5 : an act of kindness or politeness

His hospitable attentions were brief … being confined to a shake of a hand …
—Washington Irving, “Sleepy Hollow”

6 : the way a soldier stands with the body stiff and straight, heels together, and arms at the sides

Medical Dictionary

attention

noun at·ten·tion \ ə-ˈten-chən \

medical Definition of attention

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

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