absently

American

[ab-suhnt-lee] / ˈæb sənt li /

adverb

in an absent-minded manner; inattentively.

absently British

/ ˈæbsəntlɪ /

adverb

in an absent-minded or preoccupied manner; inattentively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of absently

First recorded in 1870–75; absent + -ly

Vocabulary lists containing absently

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Absently, she flicked light switches as she came in, forgetting that the power was out.

From Slate • Jul. 30, 2022

Absently he fingers a sheaf of teletypes on his desk.

From Time Magazine Archive

Absently and when a subject had so consumed and excited him, he would write with the cigarette and smoke the chalk.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Absently, she removed a scrap of lint entangled in Aziza’s hair.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Absently, my hand travels to my foam breast and presses gently, worrying an absence there.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023