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presence

Etymology and origin of the English word presence

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1330
Borrowed from
Old French presence via Middle English
Ultimate origin
Latin (praesēns)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈprez.ᵊns/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English presens,[2] borrowed from Old French presence and directly from Latin praesentia (“a being present, being at hand”),[3][2][4] from praesēns (“present”) (accusative praesentem),[3][2] from prae- (“before”) and -sēns, a present participle of sum (“I am”).[5] It is related to present.[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The surrounding space, immediate vicinity: about 1330 in Barnhart, and the fact of being present in 1340.[2] The OED dates the state of being present to before 1340,[6] Etymonline to the mid-14th century.[3]

Semantic evolution

Being face to face with a superior or great personage is from the late 14th century,[3] and the OED's first example of the phrase in the presence of is from 1375.[6] An assembly or company is from about 1400, now obsolete.[6][5] The manner in which Christ is held to be present in the Eucharist is from about 1420.[6] “Carriage, demeanour, aspect”, especially an impressive one, is from the 1570s,[3] or the 16th century in Hoad.[5] A divine or spiritual being felt to be present is from the 1660s.[3] Presence of mind (1660s), a calm and collected state of mind, translates French présence d'esprit, Latin praesentia animi.[3] The quality in recorded sound that makes performers seem present is from 1950,[6] and a nation's political or military influence in another country from 1955.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 1330 – surrounding space.[2]
  • 1340 – being present.[2][6]
  • 1375 – in the presence of.[6]
  • c. 1420 – the Real Presence.[6]
  • 1570s – bearing.[3]
  • 1660s – a spirit felt as present, and presence of mind.[3]
  • 1955 – a political or military presence.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The state or fact of being present; existence or occurrence.
  2. Nearness in time or space: in my presence.
  3. The area around a great person, especially a sovereign.
  4. An impressive bearing or appearance; poise.
  5. A spirit or supernatural being felt to be nearby.
  6. A military or political force maintained in a foreign country.

Word family

  • nonpresence
  • presence chamber
  • presence of mind
  • real presence
  • present
  • presentation
  • omnipresence
  • absence
  • essence

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Presence.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/presence. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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