conspicuous by its absence

Idioms  

1. Also, conspicuous by one's absence. Glaringly obvious by the fact of not being there. For example, One agenda item concerning publicity is conspicuous by its absence, or The bride's father was conspicuous by his absence. The idea is ancient; it was expressed by the Roman writer Tacitus, concerning the absence of Junia's brother and husband at her funeral procession. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conspicuous by its absence

China, as so often at G7 meetings, will be conspicuous by its absence.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

With his trademark long-potting ability conspicuous by its absence, Wu repeatedly left Murphy opportunities to capitalise.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

While the Russian delegation will be conspicuous by its absence, organisers hailed a record turnout in terms of the number and diversity of participants, with expectations of a "high-level" Chinese presence.

From Reuters ● Jan. 10, 2023

But the more recent works use the oscillating motifs as backdrops for brushwork that’s big and bold — and sometimes conspicuous by its absence.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 19, 2018

In the poorer districts, there are any quantity of children, even enough to sell, but in the Paris of the rich, the child is conspicuous by its absence.

From Behind the Beyond and Other Contributions to Human Knowledge by Stephen Leacock

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