inattentive
adjective
in·at·ten·tive
ˌi-nə-ˈten-tiv 
: not attentive : not paying attention
inattentively
adverb
inattentiveness
noun
Examples of inattentive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Miami, which lost for the seventh time in eight games, again was slow and passive and inattentive defensively, permitting the Pacers to shoot 58 percent overall and 46 percent (18 for 39) on threes.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Half of likely voters remain inattentive to the race at this stage, meaning lower-polling candidates still retain potential pathways to growth if the field narrows organically.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Tom Defur, also with the Caldwell Police Department, shared that his daughter was killed in a car crash because of an inattentive driver.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 13 Feb. 2026
Investigators found many of the crashes involved inattentive drivers, some of whom appeared to mistakenly assume the driver-assistance technology functioned as fully autonomous driving.
—Martina Di Licosa, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
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Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Half of likely voters remain inattentive to the race at this stage, meaning lower-polling candidates still retain potential pathways to growth if the field narrows organically.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Tom Defur, also with the Caldwell Police Department, shared that his daughter was killed in a car crash because of an inattentive driver.
—Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 13 Feb. 2026
Investigators found many of the crashes involved inattentive drivers, some of whom appeared to mistakenly assume the driver-assistance technology functioned as fully autonomous driving.
—Martina Di Licosa, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inattentive
Cite this Entry
“Inattentive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inattentive. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inattentive
adjective
in·at·ten·tive
-ˈtent-iv
: not attentive : not paying attention
the student was inattentive in class
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