absence

English Online Dictionary. What means absence‎? What does absence mean?

English

Alternative forms

• abs.

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/
• 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 A state of being away or withdrawn from a place or from companionship

2. The period of someone being away. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
3. Failure to be present where one is expected, wanted, or needed; nonattendance; deficiency. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
4. Lack; deficiency; nonexistence. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
5. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind). [First attested in the early 18^th century.]
6. (medicine) Temporary loss or disruption of consciousness, with sudden onset and recovery, and common in epilepsy. [First attested in the mid 20^th century.]
7. (fencing) Lack of contact between blades.

Synonyms

• missingness

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “state of being away”): presence
• (antonym(s) of “lack, deficiency, nonexistence”): existence, possession, sufficiency

Derived terms

Related terms

• absent
• absentee
• absenteeism
• absential

Translations

References

Anagrams

• casbene

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

• IPA^(key): [ˈapsɛnt͡sɛ]

Noun

absence f

1. absence

Declension

Related terms

• See esence

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

Synonyms

• petit mal

References

• “absence” in Den Danske Ordbog

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

• IPA^(key): /ap.sɑ̃s/

Noun

absence f (plural absences)

1. absence (state of being absent or withdrawn)

Derived terms

Related terms

• absent

Descendants

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

Further reading

• “absence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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

• IPA^(key): /abˈsɛns(ə)/

Noun

absence (plural absences)

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

Related terms

• absent

Descendants

• English: absence
• Scots: absence

References

• Stratmann, Francis Henry with Henry Bradley (First published 1891) A Dictionary of Middle English‎^[2], London: Oxford University Press, published 1954, page 3