noun

inadvertence

in-ad-VERT-ns/ˌɪnədˈvɜːrtns/

Failure to notice or attend to something.

The man's inadvertence lets water overflow while he watches his phone.

A distracted man keeps pouring water into an already overflowing glass while looking at his phone, visibly failing to notice the spill.

Etymology

inLatinnot

+adLatintoward

+vertenceLatinturn

Turning toward something became an image for directing attention to it. With the negative prefix, inadvertence names the failure to make that mental turn, leaving something unnoticed or unattended to.

In context

Minerva2615:09

it intentionally produced documents with redactions and then tried to claw them back meaning there was no inadvertence

Worried about Waiving Privilege via Inadvertent Production? You’ll Want to Listen to This.

More examples

Through inadvertence, she sends the email without its attachment.
The clerk's inadvertence causes a delay in processing the application.
A checklist helps prevent errors caused by inadvertence.

Forms

inadvertent adjective — Unintentional, often because of a lapse in attention.

inadvertently adverb — Without intending to or noticing it.

Similar words

inattention: Emphasizes not focusing rather than unintentionally missing something.
oversight: Usually identifies a specific omission rather than the underlying inattention.
carelessness: Suggests insufficient caution rather than simply failing to notice.