What does absence mean in English?

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absence Meaning, Definition, Pronunciation, Grammar & Synonyms❤️

0 the fact of not being where you are usually expected to be:
- A new manager was appointed during/in her absence.
- She has had repeated absences from work this year.
1 the fact of not existing:
- He drew attention to the absence of concrete evidence against the defendant.
- In the absence of (= because there were not) more suitable candidates, we decided to offer the job to Mr Conway.
2 the state of not being somewhere, or a period in which you are not somewhere:
- [ C ] She has had repeated absences from school this year.
- [ U ] He drew attention to the absence of any solid evidence against the defendant.
3 a time when someone is not at work or at the place they are expected to be:
- absence from sth Her absence from the meeting was noted.
- in sb's absence His fellow directors voted in his absence to fire him.
- The worst day for workplace absences is Monday.
4 the fact that something is not where it is needed or expected:
- The business was suffering from an absence of an overall plan for moving forward.
- in the absence of sth In the absence of any alternative, we'll continue in the same way as before.

The smell of cigarette smoke confirmed what he had suspected: there had been a party in his absence.
I'm deputizing for the director during his absence.
Unbeknown to me, he'd gone and rented out the apartment in my absence.
Can you account for your absence last Friday?
A new manager was appointed during/in her absence.
In the absence of anything better the settee would serve as a bed for a couple of nights.
In our search for evidence, we were stymied by the absence of any recent documents.
They complained about the absence of vegetarian food on the menu.