presence

American  

[prez-uhns] / ˈprɛz əns /

noun

• presences
  plural

1. the state or fact of being present, as with others or in a place.

   Antonyms:

   absence

2. attendance or company.

   Your presence is requested.

3. immediate vicinity; proximity.

   in the presence of witnesses.

   Synonyms:

   neighborhood

4. the military or economic power of a country as reflected abroad by the stationing of its troops, sale of its goods, etc..

   the American military presence in Europe;

   the Japanese presence in the U.S. consumer market.

5. Chiefly British. the immediate personal vicinity of a great personage giving audience or reception.

   summoned to her presence.

6. the ability to project a sense of ease, poise, or self-assurance, especially the quality or manner of a person's bearing before an audience.

   The speaker had a good deal of stage presence.

   Synonyms:

   mien, carriage

7. personal appearance or bearing, especially of a dignified or imposing kind.

   a man of fine presence.

8. a person, especially of noteworthy appearance or compelling personality.

   He is a real presence, even at a private party.

9. a divine or supernatural spirit felt to be present.

   He felt a presence with him in the room.

10. British Obsolete. presence chamber.

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presence British  

/ ˈprɛzəns /

noun

1. the state or fact of being present

2. the immediate proximity of a person or thing

3. personal appearance or bearing, esp of a dignified nature

4. an imposing or dignified personality

5. an invisible spirit felt to be nearby

6. electronics a recording control that boosts mid-range frequencies

7. (of a recording) a quality that gives the impression that the listener is in the presence of the original source of the sound

8. obsolete assembly or company

9. obsolete short for presence chamber

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpresence
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• presences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of presence

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin praesentia; see present ¹, -ence

Explanation

Presence is the state of being somewhere. When you get an invitation that reads "Your presence is requested,” you are being asked to show up. Your style of being there — your demeanor or bearing — is also your presence. Usually, presence is a physical thing. Since the 1600s, the word has also meant something otherwordly, a spiritual or divine presence. If you suddenly feel a weird presence in the room, perhaps it's a ghost . . . or just the cat. Use the phrase "presence of mind" to indicate when someone is quick-witted or just paying attention. While your job washing skyscraper windows doesn't require a lot of brain work, it's a good idea to keep your presence of mind while working.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

presence presences

"There remains a heightened police presence in the area," the police said in a statement shared on Sunday night.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Signs placed along a service road warn of the presence of the federally threatened California red-legged frog at Diablo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Burnham's social media presence means "he does not need the media nearly as much as other prime ministers have," said Jonathan Connolly, who works for Inflect political communications agency, on TikTok.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

The young entrepreneurs branded their “Hot Girl Pickles” to resonate with Gen Z shoppers, with eye-catching packaging, strong social media presence and even a college ambassador program to promote their products on university campuses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Aunt J does what we all do when we first get home— shout needlessly and announce our presence.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

However, Mr. Starritt keeps his leads center stage and ensures that throughout their professional trials and personal ordeals they remain captivating presences and sympathetic enough to root for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Along with goalkeeper Ben Wilson, the trio have been motivating presences in the dressing room and on the touchline, highlighting the squad strength and Lampard's people management skills.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

But smaller firms without global presences will be out of luck.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

So how can people seeking life and emotional support — whatever the form — navigate that search safely, particularly given the onslaught of coaches with polished social media presences?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2025

In their view, Aristotelian forms were ghostly presences; you could never capture them, but they were always being added into the explanation.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• behavior
• personality