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

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Etymology

Origin of absence

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

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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

“In the absence of knowing somebody, it’s really easy to make them feel other and scary,” he tells the filmmakers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Hopper would later insist on the absolute absence of any social commentary in his work, claiming that he was simply painting his own inner life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Celtic's lack of depth in defence was exposed once again in the absence of the injured Cameron Carter-Vickers as Gianluca Prestianni and Duran tormented the visitors' back four.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that the brain retains surprisingly sophisticated abilities during anesthesia, despite the absence of conscious awareness.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

In the absence of anything real, the same sort of stock characters kept coming up.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu set out a timetable on Sunday urging local authorities to prioritise filling gaps left by long-term teacher absences and unfilled posts.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Fear on both sides can create a distance and lack of understanding, he warned, with longer absences making it much more likely a worker will drop out of the labour force altogether.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 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

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

No absences, no tardinesses, and my academic work was among the best of the year.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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Related Words

• dearth
• deficiency
• drought
• lack
• omission

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