disappearance
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
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Week 3: Investigations
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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 inquest has been examining 14-year-old Noah's disappearance and death in north Belfast just over six years ago on 21 June 2020.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
Rooney also stressed that the jury should arrive at their verdict by considering how things were at the time of Noah's disappearance and death, and not with the benefit of hindsight.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
The Supreme Court restored the murder conviction of Pedro Hernandez in the 1979 disappearance of Etan Patz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Patz's disappearance shocked Americans and fueled a generation of hyper-vigilant parenting.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 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.
