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

That preoccupation with time has also led to a long-running collaboration with Hamilton, which has worked with Nolan on several films.

— Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
In fact, this preoccupation is the secret theme of these sun-and-sand songs.

— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

Definition of preoccupation

Noun

Brand founder Tata Harper uses it as the first step in her skin-care regimen to plump her skin and improve absorption for the serums and moisturizers that follow.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 29 July 2026
Many local market advisory firms track investment volume and absorption on a quarterly basis.

— Srinivasulu Mupparaju, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of absorption

Noun

If your tests need updating every time a developer touches the UI, they're coupled to the wrong abstraction.

— Asad Khan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Yet American students and scholars flocked in droves to theory, perceiving in its recondite abstractions a thrilling new way of understanding the world—even, some believed, of changing it.

— Emily Eakin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026

Definition of abstraction

Noun

And the urgency of Judar’s meditations on authoritarianism, impunity, social repression, and avenues for liberation in the United States in 2026 is so clear as to be self-evident.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Newkirk, a political organizer and meditation teacher, struggled to rally local progressives around his campaign.

— Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 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 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of absentmindedness

noun

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