absence

Meaning

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 A state of being away or withdrawn from a place or from companionship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; nonexistence.
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.

Synonyms

lack

want

shortage

shortcoming

deficiency

non-attendance

defect

nonattendance

flaw

gap

nonappearance

non-existence

absence seizure

absence of mind

without

holiday

absent

inattention

absenteeism

privation

truancy

scarcity

absentness

dearth

default

nothingness

omission

over-

paucity

refusal

separation

shortfall

shortness

stone

🪨

suspension

vacation

void

worthy

in existence

mild epilepsy

non-

being away from home

not taking part

un-

DE

🇩🇪

nonresidence

poverty

dis-

overmuchness

non-nearness

not being at hand

not being found in

not being seen

default of

absentia

certainty

cessation

completeness

day off

deprivation

distance

distraction

ellipse

error

failing

failure

ignorance

inadequacy

insufficiency

long

loss

mistake

naught

negation

non-availability

nonentity

nonexistence

nothing

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈæb.s(ə)n̩s/

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”).