as in inattention
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Recent Examples of inattentiveness
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
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
Three moments from yet another winless day in the Windy City laid Pittsburgh's inattentiveness to detail bare for all to see.
—CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
At other times, the result can be both immediate and devastating, as seen in many traffic accidents caused by impatience, inattentiveness, or rashness.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
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
Three moments from yet another winless day in the Windy City laid Pittsburgh's inattentiveness to detail bare for all to see.
—CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025
At other times, the result can be both immediate and devastating, as seen in many traffic accidents caused by impatience, inattentiveness, or rashness.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inattentiveness
Noun
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In the end, his sheer inattention to your pleasure was what made the decision for you.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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Cyber criminals take advantage of user inattention and insufficient authentication on these websites.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Experts recommend placing valuables in zippered pockets inside a bag rather than loose in bins to reduce theft or forgetfulness.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2026
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What these succulents don’t handle well is overwatering, so don’t think that giving them a little extra to make up for forgetfulness will pay off.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Also, of course, there was always the danger of damage in transit, of human carelessness.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
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Someone gets hurt, the cause points toward another person’s carelessness, and suddenly, the situation becomes legal instead of just painful.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As for inventions, accident and inadvertence played a role in the development of Post-it Notes and microwave heating.—
Amanda Foreman,
WSJ,
4 May 2018
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The history of the game proceeded through intelligence, but also through inadvertence.—
JAY CASPIAN KANG,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2017
Noun
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Again, what is lost is inadvertency and the element of surprise — the sense that the power of the image is independent of the photographer’s plans.—
TEJU COLE,
New York Times,
18 Oct. 2016
Noun
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The owner of Cosentino, a Spanish quartz-slab giant being sued by Peña and many workers, received a six-month prison sentence for gross negligence in 2023.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Just one of the complaints, a general negligence suit, names Santorio as a defendant.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lower lids folded inward, placing optic nerves under duress, a literal reflection of breeder shortsightedness.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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In a historic example of incredible shortsightedness, Democratic leadership first used the far left for its own fleeting political advantage.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After a two-hour tale of comical deception, betrayal, emotional cruelty, insensitivity and obliviousness, the audience is expected to swallow a message of caring and community.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
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In Aspen, Wiseman deployed this method to showcase the casual obliviousness of some of his subjects.—
Vikram Murthi,
The Atlantic,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inattentiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inattentiveness. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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