Home › Words › P › preattentionpreattentionpreattention means the noticing of something before attention is fully focused on it.EtymologyFrom pre- + attention.nounThe noticing of something before attention is fully focused on it.e.g.“However, to develop a comprehensive model of how Web advertising works, it is recommended to examine different levels (ie, low, medium, and high) of preattention and focal attention.” — 2007, Chan Yun Yoo, Preattentive Processing of Web Advertising, page 27:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).