disappearance
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of disappearance
Explanation
A disappearance occurs when something vanishes from sight. The disappearance of the stars behind the clouds makes it a bad night for watching a meteor shower. While this word is often used when something's not visible, you can also use it for something that dies out or ceases to exist, like the disappearance of a particular animal species that's gone extinct or even disappearance of cursive writing in schools. In news stories, the word frequently refers to a crime involving a missing person: "The disappearance of his neighbor was very mysterious."
Vocabulary lists containing disappearance
Buzzwords for National Honey Bee Day
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Week 3: Investigations
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Week 2 Spelling
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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.
The NBC presenter, one of the most recognisable figures on morning television in the US, had temporarily stepped away from her anchoring duties after her mother's disappearance.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
Savannah Guthrie went back to work behind the “Today” show anchor desk Monday for the first time since the stunning and still unsolved disappearance of her mother eight weeks ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
The disappearance was also starting to make local news.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
All which makes his disappearance on 3 April 2017 so perplexing.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
It seemed like, with the magistrate’s disappearance from the village, the people were less afraid to use magic.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
