Dictionary.com

absent

[ adjective, preposition ab-suhnt; verb ab-sent, ab-suhnt ]
/ adjective, preposition ˈæb sənt; verb æbˈsɛnt, ˈæb sənt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: absent / absented / absenting / absents on Thesaurus.com

adjective
not in a certain place at a given time; away, missing (opposed to present): absent from class.
lacking; nonexistent: Revenge is absent from his mind.
not attentive; preoccupied; absent-minded: an absent look on his face.
verb (used with object)
to take or keep (oneself) away: to absent oneself from a meeting.
preposition
in the absence of; without: Absent some catastrophe, stock-market prices should soon improve.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of absent

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin absent- (stem of absēns, present participle of abesse to be away (ab-ab- + -s- be (see is) + -ent--ent))

OTHER WORDS FROM absent

ab·sen·ta·tion [ab-suhn-tey-shuhn], /ˌæb sənˈteɪ ʃən/, nounab·sent·er, nounab·sent·ness, nounnon·ab·sen·ta·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use absent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for absent

absent

adjective (ˈæbsənt)
away or not present
lacking; missing
inattentive; absent-minded
verb (æbˈsɛnt)
(tr) to remove (oneself) or keep away

Derived forms of absent

absenter, noun

Word Origin for absent

C14: from Latin absent-, stem of absēns, present participle of abesse to be away
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
FEEDBACK