Wiktionary

absence

See also: Absence

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *-o
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó
Proto-Italic *ap
Latin abder.
Latin ab-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi
Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt
Proto-Italic *som~*ezom
Latin sum
Latin absum
Latin absēns
Proto-Indo-European *-yós
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin -ia
Latin absentiader.
Old French absencebor.
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”).

    Pronunciation

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    • (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/
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • Rhymes: (in the medical sense) -ɒns

    Noun

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 A state of being away or withdrawn from a place or from companionship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

    Synonyms

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    Antonyms

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    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    References

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    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.

    Anagrams

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    Czech

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    Etymology

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    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]

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    absence f

    1. absence

    Declension

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    Declension of absence (soft feminine)
    singular plural
    nominative absence absence
    genitive absence absencí
    dative absenci absencím
    accusative absenci absence
    vocative absence absence
    locative absenci absencích
    instrumental absencí absencemi
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    References

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

    Further reading

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    Danish

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    Etymology

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    From French absence, from Latin absentia.

    Noun

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    absence c (singular definite absencen, plural indefinite absencer)

    1. (medicine) petit mal

    Inflection

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    Declension of absence
    common
    gender     		singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative absence absencen absencer absencerne
    genitive absences absencens absencers absencernes

    Synonyms

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    References

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    French

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    Etymology

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    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

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    Noun

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    absence f (plural absences)

    1. absence (state of being absent or withdrawn)

    Derived terms

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    Descendants

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

    Further reading

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    Middle English

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    Etymology

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      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”).

      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      absence (plural absences)

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

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      References

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