absence

American  

[ab-suhns] / ˈæb səns /

noun

• absences
  plural

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.

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absence British  

/ 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

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absence Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing absence

• conspicuous by its absence

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• absences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of absence

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

Explanation

Absence is the state of not being someplace, like school. It can also refer to the amount of time something has been, or plans to be gone. We most commonly think of absence as the opposite of present in places school, but really it can refer to anything that's missing or something that's lacking. Darkness is an absence of light, and cold is an absence of heat. The figure of speech "absence makes the heart grow fonder" means "when my beloved isn't here, my feelings for them get even stronger" or "when something's gone, you want it even more."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

absence absences

But there is no standardized public key for deciphering them; codes vary among plants and products, and the absence of an obvious “TF” is no guarantee Taylor Farms wasn’t involved.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

The pair will manage the company during the CEO’s absence, Home Depot said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Maresca made Fernandez captain at Chelsea in the absence of Reece James.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

The absence of things really helped to start to put me in a box in a way — not the negative connotation of that — like putting the costume on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

He’d expected it, but that didn’t make their absence feel any better.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Suburban growth—and burgeoning communities across the South and West—means the report has some conspicuous absences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

That includes both authorised absences, such as illness, and unauthorised absences, which is when pupils miss school without permission or a valid reason.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

All it cost them to snatch up the winner of the last two American League Cy Young Awards was three minor-leaguers whose absences will barely make a dent in their loaded farm system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Dianne Feinstein’s final years in office involved repeated reporting on cognitive decline and absences, raising difficult questions about when coverage becomes invasive or speculative.

From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026

No matter how sick a student might be, absences were not allowed.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Related Words

• dearth
• deficiency
• drought
• lack
• omission