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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of absence
Off-screen, viewers are still coming to terms with the character's sudden absence in the latest episodes.
—
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The Thunder blocked 10 shots despite the absence of 7-foot-1 center Chet Holmgren, who was out with a back injury.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Sook’s comments followed Nexstar’s report of quarterly results, which were marred by the absence of political advertising compared with the same quarter in 2024.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
With an absence of primary source footage or even photographs, The American Revolution relies heavily on familiar Burnsian tracking shots and zooms on paintings.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for absence
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
The Thunder blocked 10 shots despite the absence of 7-foot-1 center Chet Holmgren, who was out with a back injury.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Sook’s comments followed Nexstar’s report of quarterly results, which were marred by the absence of political advertising compared with the same quarter in 2024.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
With an absence of primary source footage or even photographs, The American Revolution relies heavily on familiar Burnsian tracking shots and zooms on paintings.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for absence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absence
Noun
-
Despite his lack of coaching experience at the MLB level, Vitello was named manager of the San Francisco Giants last month.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Part of the reason why there are so few of these conversations about podcasting is a general lack of criticism for narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Part of me has to lie—part of me has to die—to satisfy someone else’s need for their language to fit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Additionally, 84% of executives believe AI will significantly enhance their ability to respond rapidly to market trends, disruptions, and evolving customer needs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absence. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share