You searched for: “absent mindedness
absentmindedness, absent-mindedness (s) (noun) (no plural)
1. A low level of attention or an intense attention to a single object of focus that makes a person unaware of what is going on around him or her: Absentmindedness is clearly a part of everyone's life when something is merely inconvenient, such as missing a familiar turnoff on the highway, or some are very serious as when absentmindedness can cause accidents, injury, or even a loss of life.

Jeff's absentmindedness caused him to be late because he took the wrong public transportation to work.

2. A preoccupation with something that is so great that the ordinary demands of attention on something else are ignored: Cheryl was so lost in her absentmindedness that she was unaware of where she was or what she was supposed to be doing there.
This entry is located in the following units: a-, ab-, abs- (page 9) esse, sent-, terest- (page 1)