1. (n.) A state of being absent or withdrawn\ from a place or from companionship; -- opposed to presence.

2. (n.) Want; destitution; withdrawal.

3. (n.) Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind); as, absence of mind.

AWOL French leave abscondence absence without leave absentation absenteeism absenting beggary cut day off dearth default defect defectiveness deficiency deficit departure deprivation destitution disappearance drought emptiness escape excused absence exigency famine fleeing furlough holiday hooky imperfection impoverishment inadequacy incompleteness insufficiency lack leave leave of absence leaving miss necessity need negation negativeness negativity nihility nonappearance nonattendance nonbeing nonentity nonexistence nonoccurrence nonreality nonsubsistence not-being nothingness nullity omission paucity privation running away sabbatical leave scantiness scarcity shortage shortcoming shortfall sick leave starvation truancy truantism unactuality unexcused absence unreality vacancy vacation vacuity vacuum void want wantage