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attendance

n.
US //əˈtɛndəns// UK //ɐtˈɛndəns// at·ten·dance
  1. 1 being present (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of being at a place, especially a school, office, or meeting.

    the state of being present at a specific location or event; often used in institutional contexts like education or employment.

    Example

    The teacher takes attendance every morning to see which students are in class.

    Example

    Regular attendance is mandatory for all students, as the curriculum relies heavily on interactive seminars and group discussions.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'in attendance'.

  2. 2 number of people (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the total number of people who go to an event like a concert or a game.

    the total count of individuals present at a public gathering or performance.

    Example

    Attendance at the football match was lower than usual because of the rain.

    Example

    The festival organisers were delighted to report a record attendance, with over fifty thousand visitors entering the gates over the weekend.

    Usage

    Usually uncountable when referring to the general concept, but can be countable when comparing specific figures.

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  1. 3 careful attention (n.)
    C1 Advanced Archaic Formal

    the act of looking after someone or paying close attention to something.

    the act of waiting upon or providing service to someone; also refers to careful regard or attention.

    Example

    The king had many servants in attendance to help him with his daily needs.

    Example

    She was tired of having to dance attendance on her demanding boss, who expected her to be available at all hours of the night.

    Usage

    Commonly found in the phrase 'dance attendance on someone'.

Origin

From Middle English attendance, from Old French atendance, from atendre (“to attend, listen”).

Idioms1 entry

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