English Explanatory Dictionary

absence

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A state of being away or withdrawn from a place or from companionship
  2. The period of someone being away.
  3. Failure to be present where one is expected, wanted, or needed; nonattendance; deficiency.
  4. Lack; deficiency; non-existence.
  5. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind).
  6. Temporary loss or disruption of consciousness, with sudden onset and recovery, and common in epilepsy.
  7. Lack of contact between blades.

Pronunciation

/ˈæb.s(ə)n̩s/ /ˈæb.s(ə)n̩ts/ /ˈæb.sn̩ts/ /ˈæbsɒns/ /æbˈsɒns/ en-us-absence.ogg

Word forms

absence absences abs.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Italic *ap Latin abder. Latin ab- Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt Proto-Italic *som~*ezom Latin sum Latin absum Latin absēns Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin absentiader. Old French absencebor. Middle English absence English absence From Middle English absence, from Old French absence, ausence, from Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“to be away or absent”), from ab (“from, away from”) + sum (“to be”).

Synonyms

missingness

Antonyms

presence existence possession sufficiency

Related words

absent absentee absenteeism absential

Derived words

absement absence makes the heart go yonder absence makes the heart grow fonder absence of mind absence seizure absence without leave conspicuous by one's absence in the absence of leave of absence nonabsence omniabsence pseudoabsence

Translations

French: absence French: absence du fer Italian: invito aperto Italian: ferro libero Portuguese: ausência Portuguese: ausência de ferro Spanish: ausencia de hierro Spanish: ausencia
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