# missing

/ˈmɪsɪŋ/ (US) · /mˈɪsɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/missing
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. lost or misplaced

adjective · CEFR A2

used to describe something that you cannot find or that is gone.

For teachers: describing an object or person that cannot be located or is absent from its expected position.

- I spent all morning looking for my missing keys.
- The police launched a formal investigation after the teenager was reported missing by his parents late Sunday evening.

### 2. not present or omitted

adjective · CEFR B1

not included in something, even though it should be there.

For teachers: absent from a set, series, or whole where inclusion is expected or required.

- There are a few pages missing from the middle of this book.
- The auditor noted that several critical signatures were missing from the final contract, rendering the document legally unenforceable.

### 3. engine failure

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

used to describe an engine that is not running smoothly.

For teachers: referring to an internal combustion engine that fails to fire properly in one or more cylinders.

- The old car was missing badly as we tried to drive up the steep hill.
- The mechanic identified a fouled spark plug as the primary reason the engine had been missing during acceleration.

### 4. a gap in data

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

a piece of information that is not there in a list or set of facts.

For teachers: a null or absent value within a dataset or statistical observation.

- The software automatically highlights any missings in the spreadsheet.
- The researcher had to decide whether to exclude the participants with missings or to use an imputation method to fill the gaps.

Usage: Often used as a countable noun in statistical or data-processing contexts.

## Examples

- My keys are missing again.
- The police are searching for a missing person who was last seen near the park yesterday morning.
- After the storm, several roof tiles were missing, and the family spent the afternoon searching the garden for the debris to prevent further water damage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.