presence
noun
pres·ence
ˈpre-zᵊn(t)s 
1
: the fact or condition of being present (see present entry 3)
2
a
: the part of space within one's immediate vicinity
b
: the neighborhood of one of superior especially royal rank
3
archaic
: company sense 2a
4
: one that is present: such as
a
: the actual person or thing that is present
b
: something present of a visible or concrete nature
5
6
: something (such as a spirit) felt or believed to be present
Examples of presence in a Sentence
Bacteria sense their neighbors and respond to the presence of others in the colony by exchanging small molecules and bits of proteins called peptides …
—
Susan Gaidos, Science News, 17 Jan. 2009
Though because it is a seaside town, there are more people now that it's summer. … As well, their presence means that our few restaurants—dark through the snowy months—are open now, their lights burning merrily into the summer evenings.
—Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
The two authors suggest that war is better understood as a form of play than as a place of business, that Clausewitzian theory collapses into absurdity in the presence of atomic weapons.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, September 2007
men should watch their language when in the presence of ladies
the orchestra's musical director has a very stately presence
Susan Gaidos, Science News, 17 Jan. 2009
Though because it is a seaside town, there are more people now that it's summer. … As well, their presence means that our few restaurants—dark through the snowy months—are open now, their lights burning merrily into the summer evenings.
—Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
The two authors suggest that war is better understood as a form of play than as a place of business, that Clausewitzian theory collapses into absurdity in the presence of atomic weapons.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, September 2007
men should watch their language when in the presence of ladies
the orchestra's musical director has a very stately presence
Recent Examples on the Web
To do so, the telescope will map out the presence of water ice, of course, as well as frozen carbon dioxide, methanol, ammonia and other intriguing compounds.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
The machine learning aspect of this latest breakthrough focused primarily on detecting the presence of ink, not deciphering the characters or text.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
The juniper presence is particularly pronounced, providing a classic foundation upon which other botanicals build.
—Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
There was no immediate comment about the corridor from Egypt, which is opposed to any Israeli presence on the Gaza side of its border.
—Mohammad Jahjouh, Wafaa Shurafa, Natalie Melzer and Tia Goldenberg The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presence
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
The machine learning aspect of this latest breakthrough focused primarily on detecting the presence of ink, not deciphering the characters or text.
—Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
The juniper presence is particularly pronounced, providing a classic foundation upon which other botanicals build.
—Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
There was no immediate comment about the corridor from Egypt, which is opposed to any Israeli presence on the Gaza side of its border.
—Mohammad Jahjouh, Wafaa Shurafa, Natalie Melzer and Tia Goldenberg The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for presence
Cite this Entry
“Presence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presence. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
presence
noun
pres·ence
ˈprez-ᵊn(t)s
1
: the fact or state of being present
no one noticed the stranger's presence
2
: position close to a person
in the presence of a guest
3
: a person's appearance
a stately presence
4
: something felt or believed to be present
a ghostly presence
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