absence

[ ab-suhns ]

noun

1. state of being away or not being present:

   I acted as supervisor in his absence. Your absence was noted on the records.

   Antonyms: presence

2. period of being away:

   an absence of several weeks.

3. failure to attend or appear when expected.
4. lack; deficiency:

   the absence of proof.

5. inattentiveness; preoccupation; absent-mindedness:

   absence of mind.

absence

/ ˈæbsəns /

noun

1. the state of being away
2. the time during which a person or thing is away
3. the fact of being without something; lack

Word History and Origins

Origin of absence¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin absentia; absent, -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of absence¹

C14: via Old French from Latin absentia, from absēns a being away

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with absence , also see conspicuous by its absence .

Example Sentences

He’s had a player turn up with a “please excuse his absence from practice” note from a hotel clerk and wondered whether certain men were performing under the influence.

From FiveThirtyEight

Steadman shared emails that hint at concern sweeping through CSL as employee absences shuttered entire centers.

From ProPublica

At best, the absence of DEI metrics will damper efforts to achieve the ideals of stakeholder capitalism.

From Fortune

High rates of absence could slow ballot delivery in key states, especially if there’s a second wave of the coronavirus, as some epidemiologists predict.

From ProPublica

These organizations were able to test Twitter’s ad serving functions and create more branded content in the absence of live sports, particularly around short-form video.

From Digiday

How do you celebrate when happy occasions are colored by loss and absence?

From The Daily Beast

In the absence of cultural shifts, then, new reproductive technology might not matter as much for women as it would for men.

From The Daily Beast

So filmmakers usually resort to a plot device to compensate for this absence.

From The Daily Beast

In the absence of typical classrooms and curriculums, West Africans have opted for alternate methods of learning and education.

From The Daily Beast

Courage, one recalls, is not the absence of fear but the ability to act in the face of it.

From The Daily Beast

A characteristic which distinguished them and which impressed Mrs. Pontellier most forcibly was their entire absence of prudery.

From Project Gutenberg

And the absence of paper and so forth, rendering notebooks costly and rare, made a large amount of memorizing necessary.

From Project Gutenberg

During his absence his own relations and the chief families in his town became the objects of persecution.

From Project Gutenberg

And the countess-dowager fanned herself complacently, and neither she nor Maude cared for the absence of a groomsman.

From Project Gutenberg

Mamma has proposed to her—in view of your absence—to come and stay with us, and she does n't seem afraid of the idea.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dearth
• deficiency
• drought
• lack
• omission