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

The tech tracks patterns over time rather than snapping random images, following frequency, consistency and shape to draw insights about hydration, digestion and nutrient absorption.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
There is disquiet in the absorption that translation requires, the way the self enters another world at the possible expense of the current one.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of absorption

Noun

Among the artistic practices highlighted will be those that center physical science, astronomy, geology, spirituality, mythology, and abstraction.

— News Desk, Artforum, 25 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of abstraction

Noun

Outside, the lush grounds host a 55-foot pool with a spillover spa, a kitchen and bar barbecue setup, a meditation garden with an infrared sauna, a stream, and a chicken—or peacock—coop.

— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
The participants watched a movie, followed by periods of rest, meditation, and music with their eyes closed.

— Mike McRae August 19, New Atlas, 19 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 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of absentmindedness

noun

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