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 system is heavily optimized for a world of declining attention spans and standardized outputs. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Attention Shrinking attention spans make storytelling more important than ever before. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026

That kind of collective learning is especially important in the era of AI as distinctly human skills like attention span, curiosity, judgment, empathy and collaboration become more valuable, Kavanagh and Danielson argued. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Then there are the fragmented attention spans birthed by our dearly beloved screens, which cultivate a kind of cognitive whiplash that vacillates between amnesia and yearning for more. — Christopher Coffman, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 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