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

Because of this absence, scientists have previously argued that animals likely evolved after the Weng'an Biota formed.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

“Sometimes they’re not available for exercises,” he said, adding that the absence wasn’t an “enduring decision.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

In the absence of jurors, the coroner said there was much assessment by the state of Uddin's potential risk to others, but he had seen "nothing" showing any assessment of risks to him.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

When our system is designed solely to diagnose the presence or absence of disease, one organ at a time, people have no baseline against which to make broader lifestyle decisions.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

He had returned to a late dinner, after some days’ absence, and now walked up to Hartfield to say that all were well in Brunswick Square.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

The class-action, led by four ex-warehouse workers, alleges that Amazon deducted their bank of unpaid time off or flagged them for “time off-task” for medically necessary breaks or absences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Representatives of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands said the absences would not affect the meeting's outcomes.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Raman countered that many of her absences were the result of her attendance on regional boards and oversight bodies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

For many Cameroonians, however, Biya's repeated absences over the past two decades have become a source of growing frustration.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

There’s a crack in the sink, which at this moment seems a disaster, worse than any of the other flaws and absences.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• dearth
• deficiency
• drought
• lack
• omission