absent

American  

[ab-suhnt, ab-sent, ab-suhnt] / ˈæb sənt, æbˈsɛnt, ˈæb sənt /

adjective

1. not in a certain place at a given time; away, missing (present ).

   absent from class.

   Synonyms:

   off, out

   Antonyms:

   present

2. lacking; nonexistent.

   Revenge is absent from his mind.

3. not attentive; preoccupied; absent-minded.

   an absent look on his face.

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verb (used with object)

1. to take or keep (oneself ) away.

   to absent oneself from a meeting.

preposition

1. in the absence of; without.

   Absent some catastrophe, stock-market prices should soon improve.

absent British  

adjective

1. away or not present

2. lacking; missing

3. inattentive; absent-minded

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verb

1. (tr) to remove (oneself) or keep away

Other Word Forms

• absentation noun
• absenter noun
• absentness noun
• nonabsentation noun

Etymology

Origin of absent

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin absent-, stem of absēns “being away,” present participle of abesse “to be away,” from ab- ab- + esse “to be”

Example Sentences

A minor misstep or bout of ill-preparation comes with dire consequences, from the slightest of ankle sprains to bygone absent frostbitten fingers.

From Los Angeles Times

The number of children who are persistently absent from school is still stubbornly high.

From BBC

Winter wonderlands are absent from these images, though many of the locales Mr. Friedlander captures are merry and bright.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many major poets are absent—Poe, Dickinson, Melville, Eliot and Pound, for starters—because they never appeared in the pages of the Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal

With local media absent, agencies have quietly approved settlements in closed session, with no watchdog to suss out the underlying facts.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• devoid
• empty
• lacking
• missing
• nonexistent
• unavailable
• vacant