1
as in lack
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful
the absence of volunteers to be troop leaders is putting the scouting program in real jeopardy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shortage
the fact or state of being absent
in the absence of ferry service to the island, the ecotourists had to charter a plane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of absence
In the absence of mature trees, bat houses are an option.
—
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
Both diseases would have been deadly in the early 1800s in the absence of sanitary conditions and antibiotics.
—New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025
Neither Roberts, nor the team, have provided additional details about the nature of Vesia's absence.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Beyond break-ups, also when there’s a death of someone close, from that point on it’s as if life is a matter of surviving that absence, going on living despite that absence.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for absence
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
Both diseases would have been deadly in the early 1800s in the absence of sanitary conditions and antibiotics.
—New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025
Neither Roberts, nor the team, have provided additional details about the nature of Vesia's absence.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Beyond break-ups, also when there’s a death of someone close, from that point on it’s as if life is a matter of surviving that absence, going on living despite that absence.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for absence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absence
Noun
-
But the mob’s relative lack of visibility does not mean it’s gone away.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Barcelona used a mix of zonal and man-marking but struggled when teams exploited their comparalative lack of height and physicality by using players in motion.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Takaichi has underscored the need to accelerate Japan’s military buildup after years of pacifism since World War II, echoing Abe’s militaristic vision.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
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Budgets should be more balanced when economic times are good, when there is less need for government stimulus and greater opportunities to grow tax revenue.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absence. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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