absence

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /ˈæbsəns/
• SAMPA: /"{bs@ns/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ab‧sence

Noun

Singular absence

Plural absences

1. (uncountable) Absence is when something is not there.

   There was an absence of help for the project.

2. (countable) An absence is a time something is not there.

   I failed the class because I had too many absences.

Antonyms

• presence

Related words and phrases

• absence makes the heart grow fonder
• absent
• absentee
• absenteeism