Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of close or careful observing or listening.
  • noun The ability or power to keep the mind on something; the ability to concentrate.
  • noun Notice or observation.
  • noun The act of dealing with something or someone; treatment:
  • noun Acts of interest or interference.
  • noun Acts of consideration or courtesy, especially in an effort to win someone's affection or gain sexual favors.
  • noun A military posture, with the body erect, eyes to the front, arms at the sides, and heels together.
  • interjection Used as a command to assume an erect military posture.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The whole of consciousness, regarded as made up of contents which may successively become clear under attention. The first usage is based on the analogy of the visual field of regard, the second on the analogy of the field of vision.
  • noun Active direction of the mind upon an object of sense or of thought, giving it relative or absolute prominence: it may be either voluntary or involuntary.
  • noun The power or faculty of mental concentration.
  • noun Consideration; observant care; notice: as, your letter has just arrived, and will receive early attention.
  • noun Civility or courtesy, or an act of civility or courtesy: as, attention to a stranger; in the plural, acts of courtesy indicating regard: as, his attentions to the lady were most marked.
  • noun In military tactics, a cautionary word used as a preparative to a command to execute some manœuver: as, attention, company! right face!

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act or state of attending or heeding; the application of the mind to any object of sense, representation, or thought; notice; exclusive or special consideration; earnest consideration, thought, or regard; obedient or affectionate heed; the supposed power or faculty of attending.
  • noun An act of civility or courtesy; care for the comfort and pleasure of others.
  • noun to be courteous or attentive to; to wait upon as a lover; to court.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable Mental focus.
  • noun countable An action or remark expressing concern for or interest in someone or something, especially romantic interest.
  • noun uncountable, military A state of alertness in the standing position.
  • interjection military Used as a command to bring soldiers to the attention position.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the faculty or power of mental concentration
  • noun a motionless erect stance with arms at the sides and feet together; assumed by military personnel during drill or review
  • noun a general interest that leads people to want to know more
  • noun the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
  • noun a courteous act indicating affection
  • noun the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English attencioun, from Latin attentiō, attentiōn-, from attentus, past participle of attendere, to heed; see attend.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English attencioun, from Latin attentio, from attendere, past participle attentus ("to attend, give heed to"); see attend.

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Examples

  • To summarize the most effective method of gaining attention -- _hit each sense to which you appeal as strongly as you can, without making a disagreeable impression, strike as many senses as possible, and keep on using your sense-hitting device as long as necessary to get or to recover exclusive favorable attention_.

    Certain Success Norval A. Hawkins

  • Tbe preceding extracls fufficiently manifeft this writer's waL It the fennel we do not find Efficient proofs of fuperiour judgment or erudition, to authorize our recommending his work to the attention of young clergymen as a guivte in their flu dies, rhef r clerical duty, or their peifonal conduit, home of the author's fuggtftiont may claim attention* particularly the letter on the compofitiori and delivery of fermons; but the general fubieel of tliefe letters has been much better treated by bUhop Burnet, archbifhop Seeker, Dr. Napletoa, and others.

    The Analytical Review, Or History of Literature, Domestic and Foreign, on an Enlarged Plan 1796

  • Inspiration Deficit Disorder is a play off the term attention deficit disorder, which gets wildly overused, in my opinion.

    Jonathan Ellerby: Get Back to Inspired Living Jonathan Ellerby 2010

  • Inspiration Deficit Disorder is a play off the term attention deficit disorder, which gets wildly overused, in my opinion.

    Jonathan Ellerby: Get Back to Inspired Living Jonathan Ellerby 2010

  • Inspiration Deficit Disorder is a play off the term attention deficit disorder, which gets wildly overused, in my opinion.

    Jonathan Ellerby: Get Back to Inspired Living Jonathan Ellerby 2010

  • Inspiration Deficit Disorder is a play off the term attention deficit disorder, which gets wildly overused, in my opinion.

    Jonathan Ellerby: Get Back to Inspired Living Jonathan Ellerby 2010

  • The term attention-deficit disorder turns out to be a misnomer.

    Archive 2006-03-01 Ann Althouse 2006

  • Another thing to which he called our attention was the fact that frames A, B, E, F, H, K and L were stiffened with cross braces, while the rest were not.

    The Scientific American Boy The Camp at Willow Clump Island A. Russell Bond

  • It was one of the serious mistakes and they recognize it now and if you look at the programme you find there very little provision for the further development of heavy industry and that the main attention is being directed to developing light industries-commodities the people require.

    Present Position of the U.S.S.R. 1934

  • The last of the five points to which I called your attention was the eye-spots.

    A Book of Natural History Young Folks' Library Volume XIV. Various 1891

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