Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

absence

 noun
     
ab‧sence S3 W2
1 [uncountable and countable] when you are not in the place where people expect you to be, or the time that you are away
in/during somebody's absence
Ms Leighton will be in charge during my absence (=while I am away).
absence from
Her work involved repeated absences from home.
2 [singular] the lack of something or the fact that it does not exist [≠ presence]
absence of
a complete absence of any kind of planning
In the absence of any evidence, the police had to let Myers go.
3

absence makes the heart grow fonder

used to say that being away from someone makes you like them more

➔ leave of absence

at leave2 (3)

; ➔ conspicuous by your absence

at conspicuous (3)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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