Presence or absence vs Presence and absence

Both "presence or absence" and "presence and absence" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Presence or absence" is used when discussing the existence or non-existence of something, while "presence and absence" is used when both states are being considered together.

Last updated: March 27, 2024 • 479 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"Presence or absence"

This phrase is used when discussing whether something is present or not, indicating the existence or non-existence of a particular thing.

Examples:

The test results will show the presence or absence of the virus.
The presence or absence of certain genes can affect an individual's health.
We need to determine the presence or absence of a specific chemical in the sample.

Show examples from the web [+]

Presence or absence of an alpha channel
In the prespecified stratification factors (ECOG status, presence or absence of macroscopic vascular invasion and/ or extrahepatic tumour spread) the hazard ratio consistently favoured Nexavar over placebo.
The presence or absence of an electronic control unit (ECU) on the engine is regarded as a basic parameter of the family.
in particular by specifically emphasising the presence or absence of certain ingredients and/or nutrients
The presence or absence of side effects has nothing to do with the standardized delivery of chemotherapy agents.
However, the conditions of harvesting, storage and transport result in mixtures such that we cannot identify the presence or absence of GMOs in these imports.
According to the presence or absence of risk, it will be insurance or financial deposit.
The presence or absence of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) on the engine is regarded as a basic parameter of the family.
Results obtained from valid qualitative or quantitative structure-activity relationship models ((Q)SARs) may indicate the presence or absence of a certain dangerous property.
The presence or absence of an electronic control unit (ECU) on the engine is regarded as a basic parameter of the family.
The safety of the combination therapy was similar to the respective monotherapies regardless of severity of hypertension or of the presence or absence of additional cardiovascular risk.
Hepatitis, and rarely jaundice, have been reported in patients on Kaletra therapy in the presence or absence of identifiable risk factors for hepatitis.
Donor testing is important in minimising the risks to the recipient; it is essential to screen donors and establish the presence or absence of risk of disease transmission.
As mentioned in the report, it is essential to screen donors and establish the presence or absence of risk of disease transmission, which involves a set of examinations.
Indeed testing procedures using qualitative methods require other sampling schemes as they are otherwise associated with higher risks to provide diverging results regarding the presence or absence of genetically modified material.
In patients taking Zonegran, in whom severe muscle pain and/ or weakness develop either in the presence or absence of a fever, it is recommended that markers of muscle damage be assessed, including serum creatine phosphokinase and aldolase levels.
INTEGRILIN is compatible with 0.9% sodium chloride solution for infusion and with Dextrose 5% in Normosol R, in the presence or absence of potassium chloride.
There was essentially no difference in the detection of the presence or absence of osteomyelitis between the 1-2 hour timepoint and the 5-8 hour timepoint after injection.
Nutrition and health claims provide consumers with valuable information about the presence or absence of individual nutrients (or other substances) in the food product and/or the health benefits that can be obtained through the consumption of the foodstuff.
Where consideration of all the available data provides sufficient weight of evidence for the presence or absence of a particular dangerous property:

Alternatives:

existence or non-existence
being there or not
being present or missing
inclusion or exclusion
having or lacking

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English.

"Presence and absence"

This phrase is used when considering both the presence and absence of something together, often in a more nuanced or complex context.

Examples:

The study explores the presence and absence of certain species in the ecosystem.
The report discusses the presence and absence of specific features in the data.
The artist's work plays with the idea of presence and absence in her paintings.

Show examples from the web [+]

Cells should be exposed to the test substance both in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
Cells should be exposed to the test substance both in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
Adefovir was not mutagenic in microbial mutagenicity assays involving Salmonella typhimurium (Ames) and Escherichia coli in the presence and absence of metabolic activation.
Tests must be performed, in the presence and absence of a microsomal mammalian preparation, for metabolic activation.
Proliferating cells are treated with the test substance in the presence and absence of a metabolic activation system.
Cells should be exposed to test chemicals both in the presence and absence of an appropriate exogenous metabolic activation system.
Cells should be exposed to the test chemical both in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
Established cell lines and lymphocytes are exposed to test substance both in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
Cells without sufficient instrinsic metabolic activity should be exposed to the test chemical in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
Cells without sufficient intrinsic metabolic activity should be exposed to the test substance in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
Bacteria should be exposed to the test substance both in the presence and absence of an appropriate metabolic activation system.
cells should be exposed to the test substance both in the presence and absence of an exogenous mammalian metabolic activation system.
Cells should be treated for 3-6 hrs in the presence and absence of S9.
Polyploidy (numerical chromosome aberrations) was observed in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro, both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation.

Alternatives:

both being there and not
both presence and lack
the existence and non-existence
the occurrence and non-occurrence
the being present and missing

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Presence or absence vs Presence and absence