ABSENTMINDEDNESS Synonyms: 28 Similar Words

absentmindedness

noun

as in preoccupation

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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

For centuries, getting lost was a major preoccupation—something that could prove life-changing, even life-ending.

— Shayla Love, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2026
Sleep specialists call it orthosomnia, a preoccupation with hitting perfect sleep numbers that ends up sabotaging the sleep itself.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of preoccupation

Noun

The paddle has special absorption technology to absorb vibrations.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Skin absorption varies, so a woman who continues experiencing hot flashes at higher patch doses may respond better to an oral form rather than adding more patches.

— Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of absorption

Noun

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
Her portraits, including those shown at White Columns and Nicola Vassell Gallery in New York, live in the slippery space between figuration and abstraction.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of abstraction

Noun

His research has included brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, as well as surveys of people's spiritual experiences and attitudes.

— Big Think, Big Think, 6 Aug. 2026
Watching that number climb (474 straight days of meditation, as of this week) is genuinely for me.

— Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of meditation

Browse Nearby Words

absentminded

absentmindedness

absent oneself

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Absentmindedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absentmindedness. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of absentmindedness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on absentmindedness

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

circumscribe

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes