as in negligence
failure to carefully think about, listen to, or watch someone or something
Many traffic accidents are the result of driver inattention. They lost several potential clients through their inattention to detail.
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Recent Examples of inattention
Cyber criminals take advantage of user inattention and insufficient authentication on these websites.
—
Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Deputies said driver inattention is a factor in the crash, although the investigation is continuing.
—CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
How prevalence is determined Clinicians diagnose ADHD based on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Among the inattention indicators the system tracks are head nodding or tilting, yawning, change in eye blink rate, long eyelid closures (indicating something called microsleeps), and gaze drifting from the road for extended periods (what happens when people text and drive).
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inattention
Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Deputies said driver inattention is a factor in the crash, although the investigation is continuing.
—CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
How prevalence is determined Clinicians diagnose ADHD based on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
—Carol Mathews, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2025
Among the inattention indicators the system tracks are head nodding or tilting, yawning, change in eye blink rate, long eyelid closures (indicating something called microsleeps), and gaze drifting from the road for extended periods (what happens when people text and drive).
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inattention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inattention
Noun
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Plaintiffs also allege that the city of Gary’s negligence led to the accident, including because VonBank is a city employee, and the lawsuit claims that the city is liable for his acts.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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In these instances, drivers may still be held liable for ordinary negligence.—
Ethan M. Stone,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Attorneys representing inmates there said the facility’s culture of violence and inattentiveness led to two suicides and at least 10 severe beatings and stabbings in its final year of operation.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
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That inattentiveness to cleaning the floor extended to the bottom shelf of a kitchen prep table and the top shelf of a prep table next to the cookline, each shelf dotted with 100 rodent droppings.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inattention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inattention. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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