absence (n.)

"state of not being present," late 14c., from Old French absence "absence" (14c.), from Latin absentia, abstract noun from absentem (nominative absens), present participle of abesse "be away from, be absent," from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + esse "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be"). Absence makes the heart grow fonder is a line from the song "Isle of Beauty" by English poet and composer Thomas Haynes Bayly (1797-1839).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to absence

in absentia (adv.)

Latin, literally "in (his/her/their) absence" (see absence). By 1831 in English, earlier in legal Latin.

ab-

word-forming element meaning "away, from, from off, down," denoting disjunction, separation, departure; from Latin ab (prep.) "off, away from" in reference to space or distance, also of time, from PIE root *apo- "off, away" (also the source of Greek apo "off, away from, from," Sanskrit apa "away from," Gothic af, English of, off; see apo-).

The Latin word also denoted "agency by; source, origin; relation to, in consequence of." Since classical times usually reduced to a- before -m-, -p-, or -v-; typically abs- before -c-, -q-, or -t-.

*es-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be."

It forms all or part of: absence; absent; am; Bodhisattva; entity; essence; essential; essive; eu-; eucalyptus; Eucharist; Euclidean; Eudora; Eugene; eugenics; eulogy; Eunice; euphemism; euphoria; euthanasia; homoiousian; improve; interest; is; onto-; Parousia; present (adj.) "existing at the time;" present (n.2) "what is offered or given as a gift;" proud; quintessence; represent; satyagraha; sin; sooth; soothe; suttee; swastika; yes.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit asmi, Hittite eimi, Greek esti-, Latin est, Old Church Slavonic jesmi, Lithuanian esmi, Gothic imi, Old English eom, German ist.

Trends of absence

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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presence

mid-14c., "fact of being present, state of being in a certain place and not some other," also "space before or around someone or something," from Old French presence (12c., Modern French présence), from Latin praesentia "a being present," from praesentem (see present (adj.)). Fro

simpleness

late 14c., "innocence, blamelessness," also "unity, wholeness," also "absence of pride," from simple (adj.) + -ness....From late 14c. as "absence of duplicity; ignorance; absence of complexity."...

silence

state of being or keeping silent, a forbearing from speech or utterance," from Old French silence "state of being silent; absence...The meaning "absence of sound" in English is from late 14c. The meaning "absence of mention" is from 1570s....

destitution

early 15c., destitucioun, "deprivation, loss, absence of something desired," from Old French destitution and directly from...Meaning "absence of means or resources, indigence, poverty" is from c. 1600....

congee

mid-14c., "leave or permission to depart," from Old French conget, congié "permission, leave of absence, dismissal, ceremonial...Medieval Latin commeatus "leave, permission to depart," in classical Latin "passage, going to and fro," hence "leave of absence...

calm

c. 1400, "absence of storm or wind," from the adjective or from Old French calme, carme "stillness, quiet, tranquility,"...

non-access

"[W]hen a husband could not, in the course of nature, by reason of his absence, have been the father of his wife's child,...

lack

c. 1300, "absence, want; shortage, deficiency," not found in Old English, of uncertain origin. Perhaps it is from an unrecorded Old English *lac, or else borrowed from Middle Dutch lak "deficiency, fault;" in either case probably from Proto-Germanic *lek- (source also of Old Fris

want

c. 1200, "to be lacking," from Old Norse vanta "to lack, want," earlier *wanaton, from Proto-Germanic *wanen, from PIE *weno-, suffixed form of root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out." The meaning "desire, wish for, feel the need of" is recorded by 1706....c. 1200, "deficiency,

ictus

rhythmical or metrical stress, 1752, from Latin ictus "a blow, stroke, thrust;" of voices "a beat, impulse, stress," from icere (past participle ictus) "to strike, hit," which is related to iacere "to throw" (from PIE root *ye- "to throw, impel"). Reckoned in Anglo-Saxon poetry;

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updated on October 13, 2021

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Dictionary entries near absence

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absentee

absenteeism

absent-minded

absinthe