attendance
Americannoun
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the act of attending.
-
the persons or number of persons present.
an attendance of more than 300 veterans.
idioms
noun
-
the act or state of attending
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the number of persons present
an attendance of 5000 at the festival
-
obsolete attendants collectively; retinue
Other Word Forms
- proattendance adjective
- unattendance noun
Etymology
Origin of attendance
1325–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French. See attend, -ance
Explanation
Attendance has to do with being present at something, like work or school. If you never miss a day, you have perfect attendance. The concept of attendance has to do with showing up: if you show up for school, then your attendance is not in question. When people miss school or work, they usually need a note from a doctor, explaining why they weren't in attendance. We can also say "The attendance was 100" if 100 people showed up to a meeting. If only three people out of 100 showed up though, you'd say, "Wow. Attendance was terrible."
Vocabulary lists containing attendance
A Graduation Lexicon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although attendance for the 63-match tournament was nearly 2.5 million, four games drew fewer than 8,500 fans.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
AMC said it incurred higher costs due to a refinancing and reported a 2.1% decline in attendance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
It was, according to members of the press pool in attendance, a bizarre spectacle.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
British officials, who convened the meeting, implored the companies in attendance to boost production, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
After taking attendance, I asked the students to read in their textbooks, per the instructions that their teacher had left.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
