The quality or state of being forgetful; the tendency to forget things easily or frequently.
From 'forget' (Old English 'forgietan,' from 'for-' meaning completely plus 'gietan' meaning to get or seize) plus '-ful' (full of) plus '-ness' (quality of). The compound shows how English builds complex ideas from simple parts.
Forgetfulness is actually a feature, not a bug—your brain forgets unimportant details to preserve memory capacity for what matters, which is why traumatic memories are unforgettable while what you ate Tuesday is gone!
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