attention

A2 Topic:Mind & Cognition

US /əˈtɛn.ʃn̩/ See IPA manual

noun Freq #833

Meanings

1

noun
The act of carefully watching, listening, or thinking about something.

Please direct your attention to the screen.
2

noun
Interest that people show in someone or something.

The young singer is suddenly getting a lot of attention.
3

noun
Care or treatment given to someone or something.

The wound needs medical attention.
4

noun
A straight, alert standing position used by soldiers.

The soldiers stood at attention as the general passed.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of carefully... concentration heed notice

3 noun · care or treatment given to... care

More advertence advertency consideration heedfulness mark mind note observance observation reflection

Opposites

apathy inattention neglect oversight

Word family

Forms attentions

Derived forms attention-grabbingattention-seekerattention-seekingattentionalattentionlesscross-attentiondisattentionhyperattentionmeta-attentionnonattentionoverattentionpreattention

Related forms attentive notable ponder

Common collocations

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *tend-der. Proto-Italic *tendō Latin tendō Latin attendō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin attentiōbor. Middle English attencioun English attention From Middle English attencioun, borrowed from Latin attentio, attentionis, from attendere, past participle attentus (“to attend, give heed to”); see attend. Equivalent to attend + -tion.

attencioun Middle English attentio Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Mind & Cognition

# attention

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** əˈtɛn.ʃn̩
**Frequency rank:** 833

## Meanings
1. The act of carefully watching, listening, or thinking about something.
2. Interest that people show in someone or something.
3. Care or treatment given to someone or something.
4. A straight, alert standing position used by soldiers.

## Examples
- Please direct your attention to the screen.
- The young singer is suddenly getting a lot of attention.
- The wound needs medical attention.
- The soldiers stood at attention as the general passed.

## Synonyms
- advertence
- advertency
- consideration
- heed
- heedfulness
- mark
- mind
- note
- notice
- observance
- observation
- reflection

## Antonyms
- apathy
- inattention
- neglect
- oversight

## Derived Forms
- attention-grabbing
- attention-seeker
- attention-seeking
- attentional
- attentionless
- cross-attention
- disattention
- hyperattention
- meta-attention
- nonattention
- overattention
- preattention

## Related Forms
- attentive
- notable
- ponder

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: attencioun
- Root: attentio
- Affix: -tion - act

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *tend-der. Proto-Italic *tendō Latin tendō Latin attendō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin attentiōbor. Middle English attencioun English attention From Middle English attencioun, borrowed from Latin attentio, attentionis, from attendere, past participle attentus (“to attend, give heed to”); see attend. Equivalent to attend + -tion.

## AI Etymology
Attention comes from Middle English attencioun, borrowed from Latin attentio, attentionis, from attendere, past participle attentus (“to attend, give heed to”); see attend. Equivalent to attend plus -tion. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition

markdown