'absent-mindedness' originates from the combination of 'absent' and 'mind,' where 'absent' meant 'not present' and 'mind' referred to 'the faculty of thought.'

'absent-mindedness' evolved from the earlier term 'absent mind' used in the 18th century, eventually becoming the modern English word 'absent-mindedness.'

Initially, it meant 'the state of having one's mind elsewhere,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.