absence

views updated Jun 08 2018

ab·sence / ˈabsəns/ • n. the state of being away from a place or person. ∎  an occasion or period of being away from a place or person: absences from school. ∎  (absence of) the nonexistence or lack of: she found his total absence of facial expression disconcerting.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

absence

views updated May 18 2018

absence XIV. — (O)F. — L. absentia, f. absent-, used as prp. stem of abesse be away. Cf. ESSENCE, PRESENCE.
So absent adj. and vb. XIV. Hence absentee XVI (earlier also †absentie, of obscure orig.).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

absence

views updated May 18 2018

absence (ab-sĕns) n. (in neurology) see epilepsy.

A Dictionary of Nursing

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