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absence

/ˈæb.s(ə)n̩ts/noun2 syllables

Absence means: 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.

Synonyms for absence2

noun, as in 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

absence seizure

also used for absence

missingness

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of absence

presence

What does absence mean?4

noun

1

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

2

the state of being absent“he was surprised by the absence of any explanation”

3

failure to be present

4

the time interval during which something or somebody is away“he visited during my absence”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Absence in a sentence

  • In the absence of sufficient proof, the police could not indict him.CK
  • In the absence of definite evidence, he was acquitted.unknown
  • Should anything happen in my absence, ask him for help.unknown
  • In the absence of her mother, she looks after her sister.unknown
  • Rain, by its absence, ruins men, but by its existence restores them to fortune.Singaravelu
  • In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?AsliAbbasi
  • Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.soliloquist
  • Gustavo embraced the stillness of the woods, finding peace in the absence of noise.Amastan

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of absence

as a noun

plural
absences