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

• conspicuous by its absence

Example Sentences

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said many of the flight delays in recent days and weeks have been the result of absence by air traffic controllers.

Read more on BBC

“In the absence of an LSU President, protecting our taxpayers AND the university we all love was of vital importance,” Landry posted on X after his press conference.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In her absence, her patients were seen by other doctors who discovered, a letter to the parents from the hospital said, a "higher than expected level of complications".

Read more on BBC

The company has previously been reluctant to embrace crypto on concerns over digital assets’ volatility and the absence of clear rules.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A poll of retail investors revealed “heightened concern around privacy and ethics” as well as heightened frustration around “the absence of some form of capital returns,” considering Palantir’s $6 billion cash balance.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• dearth 
• deficiency 
• drought 
• lack 
• omission