attendance

attendance — noun

1. someone's pattern or record of being there for school, work, church, or another

1.nounC1
Definition

someone's pattern or record of being there for school, work, church, or another regular activity.

Example

Lena's attendance at math class dropped after her bus route changed.

attendance at + place

Poor attendance during winter made the coach call every parent.

Common collocations
  • perfect attendance
  • poor attendance
  • regular attendance
  • attendance at school
Synonyms
  • presence

    More general; it can describe being there once, not a regular record.

  • participation

    Stresses taking part, not simply showing up.

  • showing up

    Informal and action-focused.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

attendance at + place/activity

good/poor/perfect attendance

Usage Note

Common with adjectives like regular, poor, and perfect. It is often followed by at or in when naming the place or activity.

Common Mistakes

My attendance in school was poor last month.
My attendance at school was poor last month.
This noun is usually followed by 'at' before the place.

2. the size of the group present at a meeting, game, show, or similar event.

2.nounC1
Definition

the size of the group present at a meeting, game, show, or similar event.

Example

Attendance was lower than expected at Friday's town meeting.

attendance was + adjective

Heavy rain cut attendance at the outdoor movie in half.

Common collocations
  • high attendance
  • low attendance
  • record attendance
  • attendance figures
Synonyms
  • turnout

    Common for how many people came to a public event.

  • crowd

    Names the people themselves, not the official count.

  • gate

    Mainly used for ticketed sports or entertainment events.

Grammar Patterns

attendance at + event

high/low/record attendance

Usage Note

Usually used for the size of a crowd, often with adjectives like high, low, or record. Numbers and official reports commonly appear near this sense.

Common Mistakes

The match had many attendances.
The match had high attendance.
This sense is usually uncountable when you mean the total crowd size.

3. help or care given by staying with a person and serving their needs.

3.nounC2
Definition

help or care given by staying with a person and serving their needs.

Example

A nurse remained in attendance through the night after the operation.

formal phrase: in attendance

Two aides were in attendance on the elderly judge all day.

attendance on + person

Common collocations
  • in attendance
  • attendance on someone
  • personal attendance
Synonyms
  • care

    Broader and more common in modern English.

  • service

    Can suggest duties performed for another person.

  • assistance

    Focuses on help, without the idea of staying close by.

Antonyms
  • neglect

    Shows a failure to give needed care or attention.

Grammar Patterns

in attendance

attendance on + person

Usage Note

Mostly formal and uncommon in everyday speech. It often appears in fixed phrases such as in attendance or attendance on someone.

Idioms

be in attendance

idiom

To be present at an important event or gathering.

The mayor was in attendance at the charity gala.

Were any celebrities in attendance at the film premiere?

be in attendance (on somebody)

idiom

To stay near someone to provide help or protection if needed.

Two nurses were in attendance on the elderly patient.

A security guard remained in attendance on the VIP.

dance attendance on somebody

idiom

To constantly try to please someone by doing things for them.

The assistant danced attendance on the demanding boss.

Why does she dance attendance on her younger brother?

take attendance

idiom

To record who is present and who is absent, usually in a class or meeting.

The teacher took attendance before starting the lesson.

Did you remember to take attendance at the club meeting?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun sense 1, attendance is the most neutral word when you mean how regularly someone is there for school, work, church, or another repeated activity. Presence is broader and can describe being there at one particular time, without suggesting a long-term record. Participation goes further: it implies joining in, not just arriving. Showing up is informal and focuses on the act of coming, so it sounds less suitable in official reports. Punctuality is different again, because it is about arriving on time rather than how often you come. A student can have good attendance but weak participation, or perfect attendance but poor punctuality.

presence ↗participation ↗showing uppunctuality

Common collocations

Nouns

  • attendance figure
  • attendance rate
  • attendance record

Phrases

  • attendance rose
  • attendance fell

Prepositions

  • attendance at [place/event]
  • attendance by [group]

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Attendance was formed in English from attend plus the noun ending -ance. Attend came through Old French from Latin attendere, a verb that originally meant directing oneself closely toward something. From that idea, English developed both the sense of being present and the older formal sense of waiting on or caring for someone.