Mindlessly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Acting without conscious thought or attention, often done automatically or mechanically
2. Performing actions in a way that does not involve awareness or deliberate consideration
3. Doing something without focusing the mind or reflecting on the consequences

Etymology: Mindlessly is a plain build: the adjective "mindless", formed from "mind" and the suffix "-less" (meaning "without"), followed by the adverbial ending "-ly". So the word literally describes acting "without mind" in the sense of without thought or attention. The adverbial ending has a long pedigree. It traces back through Proto-Germanic "-līkō" to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "body" or "form," which is why the suffix once carried the sense of "having the appearance or form of." Over the centuries the Old English form "-līce" wore down to Middle English "-ly" and became one of the most productive suffixes in the language. The adverb itself is therefore a combination of two very old elements, the noun "mind" and the privative "-less," both of which are inherited from the Germanic roots of English rather than borrowed from Latin or French.

Synonyms: thoughtlessly, carelessly

Antonyms: consciously