disappearance

[ dis-uh-peer-uhns ]

noun

1. the act or an instance of disappearing; a ceasing to be seen or to exist.

Word History and Origins

Origin of disappearance¹

First recorded in 1705–15; disappear + -ance

Example Sentences

A jeweller working on London's Bond Street confirmed he bought more than half of them for £10,000 shortly after their disappearance, Sotheby's said.

From BBC

Part thriller, part true crime investigation, the nonfiction book uses one of the most heinous unsolved crimes of the Troubles — the 1972 disappearance of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of 10 who was abducted from her Belfast home by intruders assumed to be members of the Irish Republican Army — to explore the lingering trauma of political violence on survivors and perpetrators alike.

From Los Angeles Times

When replicated at a larger scale, this can lead to false memories—something we see everywhere from boomer Facebook groups bemoaning the disappearance of “proper binmen” to political movements that exploit these feelings of nostalgia, which essentially trade on the false premise that everything was better in the past.

From Slate

"Dawit Isaak is the longest detained journalist in the world. We are very concerned about his health and his whereabouts are unknown, he is not charged with a crime, and he has been denied access to his family, consular assistance, and the right to legal counsel – effectively, it is an enforced disappearance," said Caroline Edelstam, the chair of the Edelstam Prize jury.

From BBC

Following Ms Michalski's disappearance, the man made a series of online searches - including "what does a dead body smell like after it decomposes?"

From BBC

Related Words

• departure
• exodus
• loss
• removal