Absence: Meaning, Word Forms, and the Proverb Everyone Only Half Quotes
Absence is the state of not being somewhere, or the lack of something entirely. It also names a formal period away from work or school, and a type of seizure.
Absence is the fact of not being present. That covers a person missing from a room, a quality missing from a plan, or a whole period spent away: *a two-week absence*, *the absence of any evidence*.
In careful writing the second sense does a lot of work. The absence of something is not the same as its opposite: the absence of noise is not silence chosen, it is simply nothing being heard.
The main senses
- Not being present. *Her absence was noticed immediately.*
- A period spent away. *He returned after a long absence.*
- The lack of something. *In the absence of proof, the case collapsed.*
- A formal leave. *Absence from work must be reported by nine.*
- A brief lapse of consciousness (medicine). An absence seizure.
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (singular) | absence | The meeting continued in his absence. |
| Noun (plural) | absences | Repeated absences were recorded. |
| Adjective | absent | Three students were absent. |
| Verb | absent (oneself) | She absented herself from the debate. |
| Adverb | absently | He nodded absently, thinking of something else. |
| Person | absentee | Absentee ballots must arrive by Friday. |
How it is used in a sentence
- In the absence of the manager, the deputy signed the order.A very common formal construction.
- His absence from the ceremony was widely discussed.Absence from, not absence of, when a person is missing from an event.
- There was a complete absence of noise for about three seconds.Absence of, for a missing quality or thing.
- She took a leave of absence to finish the book.A fixed phrase for authorised time away.
- Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or so people say.The proverb, usually quoted without its answer.
The proverb and its reply
Absence makes the heart grow fonder is the half everyone knows. English has always kept a rebuttal in circulation alongside it: *out of sight, out of mind*. Both are old, both are common, and they contradict each other flatly. The proverb is not a fact about people; it is one of two available opinions.
Where the word comes from
From Latin *absentia*, from *absens*, the present participle of *abesse* — to be away, formed from *ab* (away) and *esse* (to be). The same root sits inside *absent*, *absentee* and, more distantly, *essence*.
Absence of or absence from?
Use absence of for a missing thing or quality: *the absence of evidence*. Use absence from for a person missing from a place or event: *his absence from school*.
What is an absence seizure?
A brief epileptic seizure, most common in children, in which awareness stops for a few seconds. It is often mistaken for daydreaming, which is roughly what the name describes.
Is absence the opposite of presence?
Yes, in the plain sense. But note that presence has an extra meaning — a person's impressive bearing — which absence does not mirror.