absentee

[ ab-suh n-tee ]

/ ˌæb sənˈti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR absentee ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who is absent, especially from work or school.

a person who absents himself or herself, as a landowner who does not live on certain property owned or a voter who is permitted to cast a ballot by mail.

RELATED WORDS

remote, absent, distant, oblivious

Nearby words

absent, absent without leave, absent-minded, absentation, absente reo, absentee, absentee ballot, absentee landlord, absentee vote, absenteeism, absentia

Origin of absentee

First recorded in 1530–40; absent + -ee

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for absentee

The ground game in Iowa has traditionally revolved around an absentee ballot program.
Fight Over the Ground Game in Iowa Could Swing the Senate|Ben Jacobs|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An absentee father is loitering about with his son and namesake, Mason Jr., at a deserted concert hall.
The Making of ‘Boyhood’: Richard Linklater’s 12-Year Journey to Create An American Masterpiece|Marlow Stern|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ware went to court claiming a number of irregularities, including issues with hundreds of absentee ballots.
Could Chris McDaniel Get A Do-Over In The Mississippi Senate Race?|Ben Jacobs|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perry said most of the absentee ballots questioned in the mayoral race had six or seven different issues.
Could Chris McDaniel Get A Do-Over In The Mississippi Senate Race?|Ben Jacobs|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Some statistics–disproportionate rates of school suspension, incarceration, and absentee dads–are gloomy.
Obama’s 34 Words That Matter Most|Joshua DuBois|February 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The only absentee was little Dorothy Drew, who tearfully complained that her grandfather did not know her.
The Grand Old Man|Richard B. Cook
The evils of the absentee landlord are not confined to Ireland.
The Leaven in a Great City|Lillian William Betts
At the breakfast table the next morning there was one absentee.
The Harmsworth Magazine, Vol. 1, 1898-1899, No. 6|Various
The Roman gentleman may be regarded as an "absentee landlord," giving this advice to his agent.
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. VIII|Various
In the Australian mainland States the absentee and the squatter caused constant difficulties and occasional disorder.
The Framework of Home Rule|Erskine Childers

British Dictionary definitions for absentee

absentee

/ (ˌæbsənˈtiː) /

noun

a person who is absent
(as modifier)an absentee voter

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

Word Origin and History for absentee

absentee

1530s, from absent (v.) + -ee.