absence

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See also: Absence

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English absence, from Old French absence, ausence, from Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“I am away or absent”), from ab (“from, away from”) + sum (“I am”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈæb.s(ə)n̩s/, /ˈæb.s(ə)n̩ts/
  • (General American)
    • IPA(key): /ˈæb.s(ə)n̩s/, /ˈæb.sn̩ts/
    • (in the medical sense) IPA(key): /ˈæbsɒns/, /æbˈsɒns/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: (in the medical sense) -ɒns

Noun

absence (usually uncountable, plural absences)

  1. A state of being away or withdrawn from a place or from companionship
    Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
  2. The period of someone being away.
    During Jane's absence, Mark will be taking charge.
  3. Failure to be present where one is expected, wanted, or needed; nonattendance; deficiency.
    • 2018 September 15, Barney Ronay, “Finely tuned Liverpool are really getting into Jürgen Klopp’s groove”, in The Guardian‎:
      Harry Kane was an absence in that first half. He touched the ball 11 times despite Spurs taking 62% of possession.
    • 2022 January 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, in RAIL, number 948, page 3:
      Then, in January, a creeping tsunami of train cancellations, triggered by major staff absences as a result of the aggressive transmissibility of Omicron, heaped further misery on rail users.
  4. Lack; deficiency; nonexistence.
    He had an absence of enthusiasm.
    • 1826, James Kent, Commentaries on American Law:
      in the absence of higher and more authoritative sanctions the ordinances of foreign states, the opinions of eminent statesmen, and the writings of distinguished jurists, are regarded as of great consideration on questions not settled by conventional law
  5. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind).
    absence of mind
  6. (medicine) Temporary loss or disruption of consciousness, with sudden onset and recovery, and common in epilepsy.
  7. (fencing) Lack of contact between blades.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “absence”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 8.

Anagrams

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from French absence, from Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“I am away or absent”), from ab (“of, by, from”) + sum (“I am”).

Pronunciation

Noun

absence f

  1. absence

Declension

Declension of absence (soft feminine)
singular plural
nominative absence absence
genitive absence absencí
dative absenci absencím
accusative absenci absence
vocative absence absence
locative absenci absencích
instrumental absencí absencemi

Further reading

  • “absence”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935-1957
  • “absence”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Danish

Etymology

From French absence.

Noun

absence c (singular definite absencen, plural indefinite absencer)

  1. (medicine) petit mal

Inflection

Declension of absence
common
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative absence absencen absencer absencerne
genitive absences absencens absencers absencernes

Synonyms

References

French

Etymology

From Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“to be away or absent”), from ab (“of, by, from”) + sum (“to be”).

Pronunciation

Noun

absence f (plural absences)

  1. absence (state of being absent or withdrawn)

Derived terms

Descendants

  • → Czech: absence
  • → Danish: absence
  • → German: Absence
  • → Luxembourgish: Absence
  • → Romanian: absență

Further reading

Middle English

Etymology

From Old French absence, ausence, from Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“I am away or absent”), from ab (“of, by, from”) + sum (“I am”).

Pronunciation

Noun

absence (plural absences)

  1. Being away or elsewhere; absence.
  2. Nonattendance or nonexistence; failure to appear.

Descendants

References

  • Stratmann, Francis Henry with Henry Bradley (First published 1891) A Dictionary of Middle English‎, London: Oxford University Press, published 1954, page 3
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