1. The state of being absent
   "he was surprised by the absence of any explanation"
    
2. Failure to be present
   "His absence from the meeting was unexplained"
    
3. The time interval during which something or somebody is away
   "he visited during my absence"
    
4. The occurrence of an abrupt, transient loss or impairment of consciousness (which is not subsequently remembered), sometimes with light twitching, fluttering eyelids, etc.; common in petit mal epilepsy
   "The child had brief absence seizures that looked like daydreaming";
   - absence seizure

Derived forms: absences

Type of: deficiency, ictus, interval, lack, nonattendance, raptus, seizure, time interval, want

Antonym: presence

Part of: epilepsia minor, petit mal, petit mal epilepsy

Encyclopedia: Absence