Meaning & use
Inadvertence
Last updated
A lack of attention or carelessness that results in an unintentional mistake or oversight.
See it in a sentence
The missing signature was due to simple inadvertence rather than any attempt to deceive.
Through sheer inadvertence, the clerk filed the documents under the wrong case number.
A note on using this word
Frequently used in legal writing to distinguish an innocent mistake from deliberate wrongdoing.
Words with a similar meaning
oversightcarelessness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
attentivenessdiligence
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