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

Advertisement America’s preoccupation with the war on terror did squander its unipolar decade.

— Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
Fretting about the future is a favorite preoccupation of the conscientious.

— Joe Fassler, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of preoccupation

Noun

Complex carbs with fiber slow digestion and sugar absorption, while protein and fat further delay digestion, helping to stabilize blood sugar.

— Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026
Rather than maximizing absorption across the entire solar spectrum, researchers can tune the semiconductor’s bandgap toward the narrower spectrum of artificial light.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of absorption

Noun

Another big-ticket item is the 1974 Frankenthaler green-and-blue abstraction Return and Exit, with a high estimate of $2 million.

— Brian Boucher for ArtNews, Robb Report, 16 Sep. 2026
But there’s a fundamental abstraction to the theater that allows plays to get away with things that a movie like Prima Facie, which works so hard to place its action in a tangible world, doesn’t.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of abstraction

Noun

After a brief walk, attendees will engage in mindful movements and meditation with yoga instructor Jared Fedota from YogaSix studio in Geneva, organizers said.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Her latest book is an ode to the artist Eva Hesse — and a pulsing meditation on identity.

— Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of absentmindedness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

volition

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes