Meaning & use
omnipresence
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Meanings
noununcountable
The quality or state of being present everywhere at the same time.
Grammar: Uncountable: use 'the omnipresence of' or 'God's omnipresence', never 'an omnipresence' or 'omnipresences'.
Patterns
- the omnipresence of something
- someone's omnipresence
Many religions teach the omnipresence of God.
The omnipresence of cameras in public spaces has changed how people behave.
Critics complained about the omnipresence of advertising in the city.
noununcountablefigurative
The fact of appearing or being found everywhere in a particular situation or place, often in an annoying way.
Grammar: Often used figuratively with a disapproving tone, especially about brands, technology, or influence.
Patterns
- the omnipresence of something in something
The omnipresence of that brand in every stadium made the game feel like an advertisement.
Her omnipresence on social media made her hard to avoid.
Common combinations
- the omnipresence of God
- The hymn celebrates the omnipresence of God.
- the omnipresence of technology
- The omnipresence of technology in classrooms has changed teaching.
- the omnipresence of social media
- Some parents worry about the omnipresence of social media in teenagers' lives.
- a sense of omnipresence
- The novel creates a sense of omnipresence, as if the narrator sees everything.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ubiquity
- Ubiquity is a close synonym but is more formal and often used about things rather than divine presence.
- universality
- Universality means being true or present in all cases, which is broader and less spatial than omnipresence.
Opposites
Word family
- omnipresent adjective
- Present everywhere at the same time.
- omnipotent adjective
- Having unlimited power; often used with omnipresent in religious language.
- omniscient adjective
- Knowing everything; another divine attribute.
Commonly confused: omnipresence or omnipotence?
omnipresence vs omnipotence
Omnipotence means unlimited power, while omnipresence means being everywhere. They are different divine qualities and should not be mixed up.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Omnipresence is uncountable and takes 'the ... of', so 'The omnipresence of cameras' is correct. 'An omnipresence' and 'omnipresences' are wrong because the noun is not countable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “omnipresence”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.