attendance
Americannoun
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the act of attending.
-
the persons or number of persons present.
an attendance of more than 300 veterans.
idioms
noun
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the act or state of attending
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the number of persons present
an attendance of 5000 at the festival
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obsolete attendants collectively; retinue
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of attendance
1325–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French. See attend, -ance
Explanation
Attendance has to do with being present at something, like work or school. If you never miss a day, you have perfect attendance. The concept of attendance has to do with showing up: if you show up for school, then your attendance is not in question. When people miss school or work, they usually need a note from a doctor, explaining why they weren't in attendance. We can also say "The attendance was 100" if 100 people showed up to a meeting. If only three people out of 100 showed up though, you'd say, "Wow. Attendance was terrible."
Vocabulary lists containing attendance
A Graduation Lexicon
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List 1
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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.
They were down 12% in 2026 through Tuesday’s close, dragged lower by concerns about stagnant bottom-line growth and macroeconomic headwinds that could weigh on theme-park attendance.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
However, according to industry tracker Pollstar, the number of tickets sold worldwide in 2025 fell 3.7% year over year, as the concert industry settles down following peak attendance in 2023.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Three weeks ago, Ghaffari had her first baby, who is in attendance, whom she jokes is the “book club heir.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
But it doesn’t seem like an especially gendered phenomenon, which is why the rate of in-person church attendance among young men and women is the same.
From Salon • May 4, 2026
She glanced at him a second or two longer than I thought was necessary and then went back to her attendance roster.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
