disappearance
Americannoun
-
disappearances
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of disappearance
Explanation
A disappearance occurs when something vanishes from sight. The disappearance of the stars behind the clouds makes it a bad night for watching a meteor shower. While this word is often used when something's not visible, you can also use it for something that dies out or ceases to exist, like the disappearance of a particular animal species that's gone extinct or even disappearance of cursive writing in schools. In news stories, the word frequently refers to a crime involving a missing person: "The disappearance of his neighbor was very mysterious."
Vocabulary lists containing disappearance
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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.
See Examples For:
He fears the disappearance of the journeyman experience that a 22-episode network show provided — but he believes streaming offers all manner of opportunities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The disappearance of reflective ice also exposes darker ocean water, which absorbs more solar energy and can accelerate regional warming.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
But the incremental disappearance of ordinary interactions raises a question worth considering: What happens when convenience becomes the organizing principle of our public lives?
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
The U.S. military denied any involvement in the drone strikes in March and the disappearance of the vessel in January.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
If Mrs. Janssen sold it so soon after her husband's disappearance, she must already be struggling with money, which I won't allow to be my concern unless it means she can't pay me.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
As Béatrice’s amateur detective work pulls her in deeper, the strands begin to suggest a conspiracy, one marked by mysterious disappearances and the clandestine sway of the Vatican.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The surfers' disappearances and deaths sparked widespread outrage and grief in Australia and the United States, prompting a major social media search for their bodies.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Kevin Docherty was one of several families detailing the failures of police in handling the disappearances of their loved ones.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum has focused on distinguishing between disappearances committed by organized crime and those forced by state agents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
There were too many disappearances, in all parts of the city, to investigate properly, and too many forces impeding the detection of patterns.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
