absence

English

Etymology

From Middle English absence, from Old French absence, 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

• IPA: /ˈæbsəns/, SAMPA: /"{bs@ns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

absence (usually uncountable; plural absences)

1. A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Phillippians 2:12

     Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence.

2. Want; lack; destitution; withdrawal.
   • (Can we date this quote?) - Kent

     In the absence of conventional law.

3. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind)

   absence of mind.

   • (Can we date this quote?), Joseph Addison

     Reflecting on the little absences and distractions of mankind.

   • (Can we date this quote?) - Landor

     To conquer that abstraction which is called absence.

Antonyms

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. Use the template {{sense|"gloss"}}, substituting a short version of the definition for "gloss".

• presence

Derived terms

• absence makes the heart grow fonder

Related terms

• absent
• absentee
• absenteeism

Translations

state of being absent

Arabic: غياب (ar) (ğiyāb) m. Bulgarian: отсъствие (bg) Catalan: absència (ca) f. Czech: nepřítomnost (cs) f., absence (cs) f. Dutch: afwezigheid (nl) f. French: absence (fr) f. German: Abwesenheit (de) f. Interlingua: absentia (ia) Japanese: 欠席 (ja) (kesseki) Latin: absentia (la) f. Lithuanian: nebuvimas (lt) m. Middle English: absence

Norwegian: Bokmål: fravær n. Nynorsk: fråvær n. Portuguese: ausência (pt) f. Romanian: absență (ro) f. Russian: отсутствие (ru) (otsútstvije) n., отлучка (ru) (otlúčka) f. Scottish Gaelic: neo-làthaireachd (gd) f. Serbian: odsustvo (sr) n. Slovene: odsotnost (sl) f. Spanish: ausencia (es) f. Swedish: frånvaro (sv) c., bortavaro (sv) c. Turkish: yokluk (tr)

want; lack; destitution; withdrawal

Bulgarian: липса (bg) Catalan: absència (ca) f. Czech: nepřítomnost (cs) f., absence (cs) f. Dutch: afwezigheid (nl) f., ontbreken (nl) n. French: absence (fr) f. German: Abwesenheit (de) f., Fehlen (de) n. Latin: absentia (la) f. Norwegian: Bokmål: fravær n., mangel m. Nynorsk: fråvær n., mangel m.

Portuguese: ausência (pt) f., falta (pt) f. Romanian: absență (ro) f. Russian: отсутствие (ru) (otsútstvije) n., нехватка (ru) (nexvátka) f., недостаток (ru) (nedostátok) m. Scottish Gaelic: easbhaidh (gd) f. Slovene: odsotnost (sl) f. Spanish: ausencia (es) f., falta (es) f. Swedish: frånvaro (sv) c. Turkish: yokluk (tr)

inattention to things present

Bulgarian: отсъствие (bg) Catalan: absència (ca) f. Czech: nepřítomnost (cs) f. Dutch: verstrooidheid (nl) f. German: Abwesenheit (de) f. Norwegian: Bokmål: åndsfravær n. (absence of mind) Nynorsk: åndsfråvær n. (absence of mind)

Romanian: neatenție (ro) f., (spirituală) absență (ro) f. Russian: рассеянность (ru) (rasséjannost') f. Scottish Gaelic: dearmad-inntinne (gd) m. Slovene: odsotnost (sl) f. Spanish: ausencia (es) f.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Ido: absenteso Interlingua: absentia Italian: assenza f. Korean: 부재 (不在, bujae) Novial: absenteso Romanian: absență f., lipsă f. Portuguese: ausência f.

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Czech

Etymology

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”)

Noun

absence f.

1. absence

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French

Etymology

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

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /ap.sɑ̃s/, SAMPA: /ap.sA~s/

Noun

absence f. (plural absences)

1. absence (state of being absent or withdrawn).

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Middle English

Etymology

From Old French absent, from Latin absentia, from absēns (“absent”), present active participle of absum (“I am away or absent”), from ab (“of, by, from”) + sum (“I am”).

Noun

absence (plural absences)

1. absent

Related terms

• absent

References

• 1954 [First published 1891], Stratmann, Francis Henry; Henry Bradley, A Dictionary of Middle English^[1], London: Oxford University Press: