Definition of absence
Etymology
From Middle English absence, from Old 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
- IPA: /ˈębsəns/, SAMPA: /"{bs@ns/
- {{|Audio (US)}}
Noun
absence (plural absences)
- A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship; -- opposed to presence.
Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. - Phillippians 2:12
- Want; lack; destitution; withdrawal.
In the absence of conventional law. - Kent
- Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind); as, absence of mind.
Reflecting on the little absences and distractions of mankind. - Joseph Addison
To conquer that abstraction which is called absence. - Landor
Antonyms
Derived terms
- absence makes the heart grow fonder
Related terms
References:
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
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