Meaning & use
absence
The state of being away from a place or event, or the fact that something is missing.
See it in a sentence
Her absence from the meeting worried her colleagues, since she rarely missed one.
In the absence of clear evidence, the jury could not reach a verdict.
A note on using this word
Absence often pairs with 'in the absence of' to mean 'without' or 'lacking,' especially in formal or academic writing.
Words with a similar meaning
nonattendancelack
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “absence”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.