Mindless

Mindless

Adjective · /ˈmaɪnd.ləs/

Definition

Acting or done without thought or intelligence; not thinking; characterised by a lack of mind or thought; tedious and repetitive (mindless work); senseless and destructive (mindless violence); sometimes used affectionately for entertainment requiring no mental effort (mindless television).

Origin

From mind (from Old English gemynd, memory, thought, intention, related to Latin mens, Greek menos) + the suffix -less (without, lacking, from Old English -leas). The same Old English mind root gives remind, mindful, and the archaic bemind. The -less suffix being one of the most productive in English, giving countless adjectives of privation: thoughtless, careless, worthless, hopeless, reckless. The contrast between mindful (full of or paying attention) and mindless (without attention or thought) being particularly marked in contemporary wellness and meditation discourse.