inconspicuousness
- noun
- /ˌɪnkənˈspɪkjuəsnəs/
- As second-person texts become more and more common, their markedness also decreases apace and, particularly in the realm of the second-person reflectoral short story, this point of conventional inconspicuousness has now very nearly been reached.
Examples
-
The inconspicuousness of construction material mines is a paradox, however.
Academic text (2008) -
The relative inconspicuousness of the level of discourse can be illustrated in "Continuity of Parks" with reference to the embedded story, by the fact that it is recounted as a straightforward narrative (the summary-like style of the first part of the text underlines this impression).
Academic text (2004) -
She listened impatiently while Eulalie and Pauline lectured her on the importance of decorum, inconspicuousness, deference to her elders, and ladylike behavior.
Fiction book (1991) -
Her inconspicuousness allowed her to blend into the crowd without being noticed.
-
The cat's gray fur contributed to its inconspicuousness in the shadowy garden.
-
The artist valued inconspicuousness in her work, preferring subtle colors and understated designs.
Synonyms
A way of behaving to avoid attention or public notice
A time when a person or thing is unknown and not noticed
Quiet and secret actions to avoid being noticed
A state in which something is out of sight and hard to notice or understand
A state of not being seen or heard by other people
Not attracting attention so people do not notice you
Being unknown and not famous
A state of being unknown and not noticed by many people
Antonyms
How Conspicuous
Surface Forms
Morphology
inconspicuousness = inconspicuous (transparent) = in + conspicuous + ness
This is a standard noun formation from the adjective 'inconspicuous' meaning the quality or state of being inconspicuous.
Etymology
Inconspicuousness begins with the prefix in- meaning 'not' and the word conspicuous, which comes from a root meaning 'to look' or 'see'. So inconspicuousness is the quality of being 'not seen' or 'not drawing attention', which is why it means not attracting notice.