noun
absence
AB-sns
noun
1
The state of not being in a place where one is expected.
"His absence from the meeting was noted by the board."
"Her prolonged absence worried her colleagues."
2
A lack or non-existence of something.
"The project stalled due to the absence of proper funding."
How to Use Absence
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither being away from somewhere you're expected, or simply the lack of something.
Easily confused with
absents
Common pairings
leave of absence
in the absence of
notable absence
Word Forms
absences plural
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Etymology
From Old French absence, ultimately from Latin absentia, based on absum, "to be away" — from ab ("away from") plus sum ("to be").