absence - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Proto-Indo-European *-yós

Middle English absence

English absence

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

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 A state of being away or withdrawn from a place or from companionship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. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    During Jane's absence, Mark will be taking charge.
  3. Failure to be present where one is expected, wanted, or needed; nonattendance; deficiency. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    • 2018 September 15, Barney Ronay, “Finely tuned Liverpool are really getting into Jürgen Klopp’s groove”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      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; non-existence. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    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
    • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 150:
      The narrow streets that twist and turn through the compact heart of Dent are surfaced with cobbles which, in the absence of pavements, spread right across from doorstep to doorstep.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:absence.
  5. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind). [First attested in the early 18th century.][1]
    absence of mind
  6. (medicine) Temporary loss or disruption of consciousness, with sudden onset and recovery, and common in epilepsy. [First attested in the mid 20th century.][1]
  7. (fencing) Lack of contact between blades.

state of being away

lack; deficiency; non-existence

inattention to things present

medical: temporary loss or disruption of consciousness

  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.

Borrowed from French absence, from Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“to be away or absent”), from ab (“of, by, from”) + sum (“to be”). First attested in the 19th century.[1]

absence f

  1. absence
  1. ^ Rejzek, Jiří (2015), “absence”, in Český etymologický slovník [Czech Etymological Dictionary] (in Czech), 3rd (revised and expanded) edition, Praha: LEDA, →ISBN, page 46

From French absence, from Latin absentia.

absence c (singular definite absencen, plural indefinite absencer)

  1. (medicine) petit mal

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

absence f (plural absences)

  1. absence (state of being absent or withdrawn)

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

absence (plural absences)

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