Relating to or involving attention; of or concerning the mental faculty of focusing on something.
From 'attention' (from Latin 'attentio,' derived from 'attendere' meaning 'to stretch toward') plus the suffix -al (forming adjectives). Modern formation used especially in psychology and cognitive science.
The word 'attentional' exploded in usage after the 1950s when cognitive psychology became scientific—phrases like 'attentional deficit' gave us precise language to discuss mental processes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.