For-gĕt'ful-ness, n.

n. 1. The quality of being forgetful; proneness to let slip from the mind.

2Sense 2. Loss of remembrance or recollection; a ceasing to remember; oblivion. “A sweet forgetfulness of human care.” Pope.

3Sense 3. Failure to bear in mind; careless omission; inattention; as, forgetfulness of duty.

Synonyms— FORGETFULNESS, OBLIVION. Forgetfulness is Anglo-Saxon, and oblivion is Latin. The former has reference to persons, and marks a state of mind; the latter has reference to things, and indicates a condition into which they are sunk. We blame a man for his forgetfulness; we speak of some old custom as buried in oblivion. The expressions could not be interchanged. We can not speak of men as characterized by oblivion; nor do we usually speak of things as buried in forgetfulness; or if we do, it is in reference to the persons who forget, and not to the state of being forgotten.

And steep my senses in forgetfulness. Shak.

And blind oblivion swallowed cities up. Shak.

The swallowing gulf Of dark forgetfulness and deep oblivion. Shak.