ABSENTMINDEDNESS Synonyms: 28 Similar Words

absentmindedness

noun

as in preoccupation

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of absentmindedness After the shopping trip, Kyle is FaceTiming with Boz about Dorit’s spending, her absentmindedness, and her inability to be on time, as if any of this is new. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026 Some of her absentmindedness in that situation can be attributed to the sleep deprivation that accompanies life as new parent. — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Poppy might have learned his lesson after the first one, but absentmindedness is strong in our gene pool. — Maggie Shipstead, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for absentmindedness

Noun

Washington’s preoccupation with its own domestic politics, inattention to the region’s nuances, and inflated fears of Chinese and Russian advances all made the United States an easy mark for manipulative local powers.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Vaz felt a resonance with the preoccupations with land, people and colonialism that have defined her filmography to this point.

— Dylan Adamson, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of preoccupation

Noun

When your braking system is working optimally, much of the shock absorption happens in the larger posterior chain muscles of the back of your body — specifically your lower back, glutes, hamstrings and calves.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Certain supplements do not mix well, blocking each other’s absorption, or refusing to absorb at all if too much (or too little) of a certain food is present in your stomach.

— Diana Helmuth, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of absorption

Noun

Certain practical and loving people viewed abstractions as attempts to escape, and thus a way of failing at what was essential in life.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
What initially reads as near abstraction—a blue oval, a red trapezoid, yellow flanking fields—reveals itself as an act of erasure.

— Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of abstraction

Noun

Practicing meditation, visualization, or deep breathing may help in distracting from the discomfort of a full bladder for a short time.

— Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
Other common practices among Druids include the celebration of seasonal festivals, meditation, and divination.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of meditation

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absentminded

absentmindedness

absent oneself

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“Absentmindedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absentmindedness. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of absentmindedness

noun

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