unforeseen absence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "unforeseen absence" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone is unexpectedly not present, often in contexts like work, school, or events. Example: "Due to an unforeseen absence, the meeting will be rescheduled for next week."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human Resources for Health

BMC Ophthalmology

Unicef

BBC

Forbes

Plosone

The Guardian - Money

TechCrunch

The New York Times

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Due to unforeseen absences and transfers of staff determined by district health authorities, in some facilities a different provider was evaluated during each supervision visit.

Human Resources for Health

The review of day surgery, published by the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection attributed some cancellations of theatre lists to unforeseen staff absence, but staff absence was not examined with relation to outcome of surgery [ 14].

BMC Ophthalmology

These included time constraints caused by unforeseen delays, absence of the WFP, conflict-related issues, and frequent staff transfer in partner NGOs.

Unicef

Royal Mail has announced that "in the absence of unforeseen circumstances" it will pay a dividend of £133m in July 2014, saying it would have paid £200m if the business had been listed for the whole of its financial year.

BBC

In the absence of unforeseen macro-events (which, by definition, are tough to predict anyway), we think the way to profit in the rest of 2004 will be from individual stock picks.

Forbes

This method should be able to adequately spread introduced traits into populations at logistically low release levels (feasibility) spread the transgene to a high enough frequency to interrupt pathogen transmission cycles (efficacy) and demonstrate the absence of unforeseen non-target effects (safety).

Plosone

"Most appointments are to cover unexpected absences of regular staff due to sickness or other unforeseen events, for maternity cover or while the health board goes through the recruitment process to fill a new post or one that has become vacant," it said.

BBC

Having an overdraft is, in the absence of another cash buffer, a useful facility in case of unforeseen events.

The Guardian - Money

"The absence of common sense prevents an intelligent system from understanding its world, communicating naturally with people, behaving reasonably in unforeseen situations, and learning from new experiences.

TechCrunch

Unforeseen events were everywhere.

The New York Times

Unforeseen events occur.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "unforeseen absence", ensure the context clearly indicates who or what is absent and why the absence is significant. This provides clarity and prevents ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "unforeseen absence" in very casual settings. Simpler phrases like "didn't show up" or "unexpectedly away" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unforeseen absence" functions as a noun phrase typically used as a subject, object, or within prepositional phrases. Based on Ludwig, it is used to describe an unexpected or unanticipated lack of presence.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "unforeseen absence" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that refers to an unexpected or unanticipated lack of presence. While Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness, its usage is relatively rare. It appears most frequently in news and media, science and business contexts. Related phrases include "unexpected absence", "sudden absence", and "unanticipated absence". When using this phrase, it's important to provide clear context to avoid ambiguity and consider whether a simpler alternative might be more appropriate for informal settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unexpected absence

Focuses on the lack of anticipation; more direct and commonly used.

unanticipated absence

Highlights the lack of prior warning or expectation.

sudden absence

Emphasizes the abruptness of the absence.

unforeseeable absence

Stresses the impossibility of predicting the absence.

unpredicted absence

Similar to unanticipated, but may imply a formal prediction was not made.

unplanned absence

Highlights the lack of intention or scheduling of the absence.

unforeseen circumstance

Shifts the focus from the absence to the unexpected event causing it.

unexpected event

Broader term referring to any event that was not anticipated.

unforeseen delay

Specifies the type of unforeseen event as a delay.

unavoidable absence

Highlights the impossibility to avoid the absence.

FAQs

What does "unforeseen absence" mean?

The phrase "unforeseen absence" refers to a situation where someone or something is unexpectedly not present. It implies that the absence was not anticipated or predicted.

How can I use "unforeseen absence" in a sentence?

You can use "unforeseen absence" to explain why someone is not available. For example: "Due to an "unexpected absence", the meeting has been postponed."

What are some alternatives to "unforeseen absence"?

Alternatives to "unforeseen absence" include "unexpected absence", "unanticipated absence", or "sudden absence". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "unforeseen absence" and "unexpected absence"?

While both phrases are similar, "unforeseen absence" emphasizes the lack of predictability, whereas "unexpected absence" simply highlights that the absence was not anticipated. The difference is subtle, and they are often interchangeable.