attention span

noun

: the length of time during which one (such as an individual or a group) is able to concentrate or remain interested

Examples of attention span in a Sentence

people with short attention spans

Recent Examples on the Web

The public attention span is pretty short, and people are always interested in what’s next. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

In a world where students are averaging seven and a half hours a day on screens and attention spans are waning, Connecticut teachers say that students’ reading stamina and comprehension are declining. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026

Social media is blamed for raising a generation of self-promoting narcissists and fuelling a precipitous decline in attention spans and intellectual engagement. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

With a generation of listeners boasting shorter attention spans and having a glut of releases at their disposal, projects tend to get discarded within weeks, and this kind of move can help alleviate that. — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for attention span

• assemblyman
• carbofuran
• catamaran
• chipewyan
• illinoian
• newspaperman
• nurseryman
• afghan
• bedpan
• began
• caveman
• chapin

Kids Definition

attention span

noun

: the length of time during which one is able to concentrate or remain interested