Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The state of being away.
- noun The time during which one is away.
- noun Lack; want.
- noun The state of being absent-minded; inattentiveness.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The state of being absent; the state of being away or not present: as, speak no ill of one in his absence.
- noun The period of being away or absent: as, an absence of several weeks or years.
- noun The state of being wanting; non-existence at the place and time spoken of; want; lack: as, the absence of evidence.
- noun Absent-mindedness; inattention to things present: a shortened form of
absence of mind .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship; -- opposed to
presence . - noun Want; destitution; withdrawal.
- noun Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind).
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun fencing Lack of contact between
blades .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun failure to be present
- noun the state of being absent
- noun the time interval during which something or somebody is away
- noun the occurrence of an abrupt, transient loss or impairment of consciousness (which is not subsequently remembered), sometimes with light twitching, fluttering eyelids, etc.; common in petit mal epilepsy
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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In woman very often voluptuous pleasure is entirely lacking; certainly such absence is far commoner in women than in men -- a condition of affairs which must on no account be confused with _absence of the sexual impulse_.
The Sexual Life of the Child Albert Moll 1900
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He did note increased international impatience with what he termed the "absence" of a peace process.
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The reports have faulted Rome for sending confusing messages to the Irish church about norms to be followed and, in general, for what it called the absence of a coherent set of canon laws and rules to apply in cases of abuse.
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Now, folks, this is what you call the absence of leadership.
Rush Limbaugh and Mickey Kaus: Is anybody listening to Warren Buffett anymore? Ann Althouse 2009
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Now, the fact that women are scarcely to be found exploring such projects says something about women; their absence is a significant absence, not an oversight on your part.
Writing and Failure (Part 2) : Christian Bök : Harriet the Blog : The Poetry Foundation 2007
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My husband and I aren't often apart, and never for more than 48 hours (I go with him if he has to travel for a while), so writing letters in his absence is a little hard.
Letters at Home 2006
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But her absence is a recurring theme, as the NRSC points out in this document.
Sound Politics: McGavick v. Cantwell Connelly and Balter 2006
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Baker battled personal problems for most of last season, consequently causing his long-term absence from the team.
USATODAY.com 2006
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Hawass said he was no longer able to protect the country's antiquities because of what he called the absence of police protection and because he was the victim of a campaign against him by senior officials at his ministry.
The Seattle Times 2011
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The reports have faulted Rome for sending confusing messages to the Irish church about norms to be followed and, in general, for what it called the absence of a coherent set of canon laws and rules to apply in cases of abuse.
Nevada Appeal - Top Stories By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press Writer 2010
frindley commented on the word absence
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Get Absence!
(Courtesy poet Steve Turner)
September 27, 2008