absence
Americannoun
-
absences
plural
-
state of being away or not being present.
I acted as supervisor in his absence. Your absence was noted on the records.
- Antonyms:
- presence
-
period of being away.
an absence of several weeks.
-
failure to attend or appear when expected.
-
lack; deficiency.
the absence of proof.
-
inattentiveness; preoccupation; absent-mindedness.
absence of mind.
noun
-
the state of being away
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the time during which a person or thing is away
-
the fact of being without something; lack
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing absence
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 1–6
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1
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List 2
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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:
We jump ahead in time and see a grade-school-aged Ricky Bobby on Career Day, let down again by his dad’s absence.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Hogsmill release last year marked the return of the rodent to the county after an absence of more than 20 years.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Ferreira, 29, is running the restaurant in the absence of her uncle.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
It wasn’t a sound that woke Natalie, but the absence of sound.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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
Garcia was fired in 2024 for tardiness and absences that he claims were justified.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
A third calls for a pulse check on a law passed by the Legislature in 2025 that lets public schools excuse student absences for off-campus religious instruction.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Of those absences, around 52% were linked to psychological factors.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
I’ll let him save his absences for when he’s actually conscious of them.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
