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absently

[ ab-suhnt-lee ]

adverb

  1. in an absent-minded manner; inattentively.


ˈabsently

/ ˈæbsəntlɪ /

adverb

  1. 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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of absently1

First recorded in 1870–75; absent + -ly
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Example Sentences

Oh,” said Kenney absently, “I was wondering what happened to that.

Absently his hands wandered through the pockets, and found his purse and the money in an outside pocket.

She led Isabel over to Mrs. Kaye, who sat alone on a small sofa, sipping her coffee and absently puffing at a cigarette.

For another minute or two he sat there without speaking, absently flipping pebbles over the bank.

"Certainly—certainly," murmured the Assistant Commissioner, glancing up absently.

He was a fat little man who sat habitually with a hand on either knee, which he clawed absently both in conversation and thought.

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absente reoabsent-minded