absence

/ˈæbsəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈæbsəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈab-sən(t)s/ (ame, mw)

absence — noun

1. a time when someone is away from school, work, or another place where they shoul

1.名詞B2
釋義

a time when someone is away from school, work, or another place where they should be, or the fact that they are away.

例句

Gita explained her absence from class by showing the doctor's note.

absence from + [place]

During the manager's absence, Omar handled all customer complaints at the front desk.

during someone's absence

同義詞
  • non-attendance

    more formal; specifically about not showing up at an event

  • leave

    permitted time away from work, often paid

  • truancy

    unauthorised absence from school by a student

反義詞
  • presence

    the state of being in a place

  • attendance

    the act of showing up at school, work, or an event

文法句型

absence from [place/event]

in someone's absence

用法筆記

Frequently appears in fixed phrases like 'in the absence of' and 'during someone's absence'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense always implies a person (or sometimes a thing) is away from a specific place, while sense 2 means the thing simply does not exist.

常見錯誤

❌My absence on the meeting was noticed.
✅My absence from the meeting was noticed.
💡use 'from', not 'on' or 'in', after 'absence'.

2. the situation in which something you would expect or want is completely missing

2.名詞B2
釋義

the situation in which something you would expect or want is completely missing from a place, group, or piece of writing.

例句

The total absence of street lights made the village feel dangerous at night.

absence of + [thing]

Doctors were puzzled by the absence of any pain in the patient's broken wrist.

absence of + abstract noun (pain, fear)

同義詞
  • lack

    more everyday; emphasises that something is insufficient rather than fully missing

  • shortage

    specifically about supply being too low to meet demand

  • void

    literary; suggests a large empty space where something should be

反義詞
  • presence

    the fact of something existing or being in a place

  • abundance

    a very large quantity of something

文法句型

absence of [thing]

in the absence of [thing]

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable in this sense and followed by 'of'. Distinguish from sense 1: here nothing is 'away' — the thing simply is not there to begin with (e.g. an absence of windows in a basement, not someone away from a place).

常見錯誤

❌There was an absence cars on the empty road.
✅There was an absence of cars on the empty road.
💡always use 'of' to link 'absence' to the missing thing.