What does "disappearance" mean?

1. (vanishing from sight) the moment when something or someone goes away and you can no longer see them. 2. (missing person) when a person goes missing and nobody knows where they are. 3. (ceasing to exist) when something stops existing or being used.

disappearance

US //ˌdɪsəˈpiɹəns// UK //dˌɪsɐpˈiəɹəns// dis·ap·pear·ance

1 vanishing from sight (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the moment when something or someone goes away and you can no longer see them.

the act of passing out of sight or vanishing from a specific location.

Example

The sudden disappearance of the sun behind the clouds made the park feel cold.

Example

The magician's act relied on the seamless disappearance of a large bird from a cage that remained in full view of the audience.
- vanishing
- fading
- appearance
- arrival
2 missing person (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

when a person goes missing and nobody knows where they are.

the state of a person being missing, often under mysterious or unexplained circumstances.

Example

The police are still investigating the mysterious disappearance of the hiker.

Example

The sudden disappearance of the witness just days before the trial raised serious concerns about the safety of the remaining participants.
- departure
- absence
- return

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3 ceasing to exist (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Science

when something stops existing or being used.

the complete cessation of existence or the end of a particular phenomenon or species.

Example

The disappearance of these rare plants is caused by changes in the weather.

Example

Environmentalists warned that the disappearance of these wetlands would lead to a catastrophic loss of biodiversity in the region.
- emergence
- creation

Origin

From disappear + -ance.