Carelessnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A lack of attention to detail leading to mistakes or negligence
2. instances of being inattentive or not exercising caution in one's actions or obligations
3. the state of failing to consider potential consequences, resulting in oversight or error

Etymology: "Carelessnesses" is simply the plural of "carelessness," so the story belongs to the base noun. Its roots go back to Old English "carlēasnes," meaning "freedom from care, security, carelessness." That sense of freedom from care is the surprise: the older meaning was closer to untroubled ease than to the mistake-making negligence we now mean. The word is built from "careless" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. "Careless" itself came from "care" combined with "-lēas," a suffix meaning "without," so the word literally described being without care. Over the Middle English period the spelling shifted toward "carelesnes" and then "carelessness," while the sense narrowed from comfortable freedom from worry toward a lack of attention that leads to error.

Synonyms: negligence, sloppiness, inattention

Antonyms: carefulness, attention, meticulousness