attendance

[uh-ten-duhns]

noun

1. the act of attending.

2. the persons or number of persons present.

   an attendance of more than 300 veterans.

attendance

/ əˈtɛndəns /

noun

1. the act or state of attending

2. the number of persons present

   an attendance of 5000 at the festival

3. obsolete,  attendants collectively; retinue

Other Word Forms

• proattendance adjective
• unattendance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of attendance¹

1325–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French. See attend, -ance

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. dance attendance, to be obsequious in one's attentions or service; attend constantly.

   He was given a larger office and several assistants to dance attendance on him.

see dance attendance on.

Example Sentences

Cordons are in place in the area with Army bomb experts in attendance.

From BBC

The district, for example, already touts its efforts to improve student attendance and conducts regular assessments.

From Los Angeles Times

Creative accounting is the norm in college football given there are no standardized practices for attendance reporting.

From Los Angeles Times

The former president was not in attendance at Tuesday's session, which marked the start of the final phase of the trial.

From BBC

His mother has previously been prosecuted in 2023 and 2024 for failing to ensure regular school attendance, the court was told.

From BBC

Related Words

• appearance 
• participation 
• presence