absenteeism
Americannoun
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frequent or habitual absence from work, school, etc..
rising absenteeism in the industry.
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the practice of being an absentee landlord.
noun
Etymology
Origin of absenteeism
Explanation
If you’ve got no reason to skip school or work, but you do it all the time anyway, you’ve got a bad case of absenteeism. When there's absenteeism, someone isn't showing up. Absenteeism is a word for the habit of being absent. If you miss weeks of school, absenteeism has become a problem. Calling in sick to work every week is another example of absenteeism. Absenteeism can be like a contagious disease — sometimes, entire schools have problems with absenteeism. If there’s a good excuse for the absence, like a serious illness, it’s not absenteeism. So don’t forget those doctor’s notes.
Vocabulary lists containing absenteeism
List 10
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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.
Student absenteeism is a problem across the U.S., and where I live in Chicago, it’s a chronic problem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
He also cited efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism, for which the department gathered a working group that has produced guidance for schools.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
In 2024, Medford High School in Boston grappled with chronic absenteeism.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
The army has been blighted by several scandals -- particularly over an unpopular mobilisation drive, the treatment of conscripts and reports of widespread absenteeism and equipment shortages in some units.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Like Flood before him, Grattan had no leaning towards democracy; and he anticipated that by the removal of the centre of political interest from Ireland the evil of absenteeism would be intensified.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various
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.
