forgetfulness

English

Etymology

From Middle English forgetfulnes, forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse, equivalent to forgetful +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

forgetfulness (usually uncountable, plural forgetfulnesses)

1. The quality of being forgetful; proneness to let slip from the mind.
2. Loss of remembrance or recollection; a ceasing to remember; oblivion.
3. Failure to bear in mind; careless omission; inattention.

   forgetfulness of duty

Translations

proneness to let slip from the mind

• Czech: zapomnětlivost (cs) f
• Danish: glemsomhed c
• Dutch: vergeetachtigheid (nl) f, vergetelheid (nl)
• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} forgeseco
• Finnish: muistamattomuus (fi), huonomuistisuus (fi), hajamielisyys (fi), unohtelu (fi)
• German: Vergesslichkeit (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἐπιλησμονή f (epilēsmonḗ)

• Hungarian: feledékenység (hu)
• Latin: oblivio, oblivium, immemoratio
• Latvian: aizmāršība f
• Manchu: ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠰᡠ (onggosu)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: glemsomhet (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: gløymske f

• Polish: amnezja (pl) f (literary, pejorative), niepamięć (pl) f
• Portuguese: esquecimento (pt) m
• Russian: забы́вчивость (ru) f (zabývčivostʹ)
• Spanish: desmemoria (es) f, mala memoria f, poca memoria f, memoria de pollo (es) f
• Swedish: glömska (sv)
• Telugu: మరుపు (te) (marupu)
• Turkish: unutkanlık (tr)
• Urdu: فراموشی f (faraamoshi)
• Welsh: anghofrwydd m

loss of remembrance

• Esperanto: ^{(please verify)} forgeseco
• Finnish: unohdus (fi), muistinmenetys (fi), unohtaminen (fi)
• German: Vergessen (de) n, Vergessenheit (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: λήθη f (lḗthē)

• Latin: oblivio, oblivium
• Latvian: aizmirstība f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: glemsomhet (no) m or f

• Spanish: olvido (es) m, pérdida de memoria f
• Swedish: minnesförlust (sv) c
• Welsh: angof m

failure to bear in mind

• Danish: forglemmelse c
• Finnish: unohdus (fi), unohtaminen (fi)
• German: Vergessenheit (de) f
• Latvian: aizmirsība f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: forglemmelse (no) m

  Nynorsk: forgløyming f

• Spanish: desmemoria (es) f, mala memoria f, poca memoria f, memoria de pollo (es) f
• Swedish: glömska (sv) c
• Welsh: anghofrwydd m

See also

• amnesia
• memory loss

References

• “forgetfulness”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.