# absence

Pronunciation: say "AB-suhns" /ˈæb.s(ə)n̩s/

## Noun

1. The condition of being away from a place or apart from companionship.
   - Simple: The state of being away from a place or from other people.
   - _His absence from the family gathering was noticed by everyone._
   - _She enjoyed the quiet during her husband's absence on business._
2. The fact of being away from somewhere you are expected, wanted, or needed to be, as from work or school.
   - Simple: The fact of not being somewhere when you are expected to be there.
   - _Her unexplained absence from the meeting frustrated her colleagues._
   - _Several absences in one month triggered a formal warning._
3. A lack or deficiency of something; the fact of its not existing.
   - Simple: The fact that something is missing or does not exist at all.
   - _The absence of evidence forced the jury to acquit him._
   - _Scientists noted the complete absence of oxygen in the sample._
4. The stretch of time during which someone is away from a place.
   - Simple: The length of time that someone is away.
   - _During her absence, a colleague handled all her clients._
   - _His prolonged absence from court delayed the trial for months._
5. Inattention to one's surroundings; a wandering or abstracted state of mind.
   - Simple: Not paying attention to what is around you because your mind is elsewhere.
   - _In a fit of absence, he poured salt into his coffee._
   - _Her habitual absence of mind led to many small mistakes._
6. A brief lapse or clouding of consciousness that begins and ends abruptly, often occurring in epilepsy.
   - Simple: A short loss of awareness that starts and ends suddenly, often in epilepsy.
   - _The neurologist observed several absences during the EEG recording._
   - _A typical absence lasts only a few seconds before normal awareness returns._
7. In fencing, the lack of contact between the two opposing blades.
   - Simple: In fencing, the moment when the two blades are not touching.
   - _Sensing the absence, she lunged before her opponent could re-engage._
   - _The coach taught them to exploit the absence between exchanges._

## Origin

From Middle English absence, borrowed from Old French absence, from Latin absentia. This comes from absēns ("absent"), the present participle of absum ("I am away"), formed from ab ("away from") plus sum ("I am").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/absence (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).