Presence

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɛzn̩s/

Definitions

1. The state of being in a particular place at a particular time, or the quality of making one's existence felt in a compelling way
2. The condition of existing in a certain location or the impact of being noticeable and influential in one’s surroundings
3. The fact of being situated in a specific area or the force of having one's influence recognized and felt in various contexts

Etymology: The most striking thing about "presence" is what it replaced. Before it arrived, English speakers had a native word, "andweardnes" in Old English, built from "andweard" ("present, at hand") plus a suffix of state. Latin-derived "presence" pushed it out, a reminder that English has repeatedly swapped native words for borrowed ones. The borrowed word came through Old French "presence", which descended from Latin "praesentia", meaning "a being present". That Latin noun was formed from "praesentem", the accusative form of "praesens", the adjective meaning "present" or "at hand". Its literal sense is simply physical existence in one place, which is still the core of the word. The second meaning, the sense of a person whose bearing or influence makes them noticeable, grew out of that core. Being physically in a room and being felt by everyone in it turned out to be a short step, so the word's everyday sense of commanding attention is a natural extension of simply being there.

Synonyms: existence, being, attendance, company, immediacy

Antonyms: absence, nonexistence, vacuum