† 1. Unattentive in service. Obs.–0
1611. Cotgr., Inofficieux, vnofficious, vnobseruant, vnseruiceable.
2. Not observant; not taking notice.
1661. Glanvill, Van. Dogm., xxiv. 247. The unobservant Multitude may have some general confus’d apprehensions of [etc.].
1775. Ash, Disobedient,… unobservant of lawful authority.
1782. V. Knox, Ess., xc. (1819), II. 173. An unexperienced and unobservant man.
1816. Southey, Poet’s Pilgr., I. 34. No unobservant travellers they, but well Of what they there had learnt they knew to tell.
1825. Scott, Talism., iv. [This] fear … made her behave with indifference, as if unobservant of his presence.
1888. F. Hume, Mme. Midas, I. v. Vandeloup looked idly at all this beauty with an unobservant eye.
absol. 1898. ‘Merriman,’ Roden’s Corner, iv. The unobservant may pass it by without distinguishing it.
Hence Unobservantly adv.
[1847. Webster.]
1868. Mrs. Whitney, P. Strong, xvii. I have not read the new style of novel and magazine writing unobservantly.
