absentee
Americannoun
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a person who is absent, especially from work or school.
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a person who is defined by their absence, such as a landowner who does not live on certain property owned or a voter who is permitted to cast a ballot by mail.
noun
Etymology
Origin of absentee
Explanation
An absentee is someone who doesn't show up when she's supposed to. A high school student who's an absentee too often may end up failing some classes. If the star player of your basketball team doesn't show up for the big game, she's an absentee. Likewise, if you skip work to go to the beach on a beautiful day, your boss will consider you an absentee. If you fill out an absentee ballot before an election, you're using a special form for voters who won't be physically present at the polls. The Latin root is absentem, "be away from."
Vocabulary lists containing absentee
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 1–November 7, 2025
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Government by the People, Sections 4–7
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 25–May 31, 2025
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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.
Staffing shortages have pushed absentee rates sharply higher, leaving major airports scrambling to maintain basic operations as spring travel ramps up.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
An absentee voter would send in a copy of an ID, or else an affidavit that it can’t be obtained after “reasonable efforts.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
As the history of absentee voting during the Civil War era shows, states have long permitted post–Election Day receipt of absentee ballots to safeguard voting rights and protect our foundational democratic principles.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is a notable absentee.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Some absentee owners are merely letting him live on their land here, in another little trailer he stays in.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
