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absently

American

[ab-suhnt-lee] / ˈæb sənt li /

adverb

in an absent-minded manner; inattentively.

absently British

/ ˈæbsəntlɪ /

adverb

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

Etymology

Origin of absently

First recorded in 1870–75; absent + -ly

Vocabulary lists containing absently

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Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

absently

“Life is full of conflagrations,” he remarks, somewhat absently.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

At the Sunset Boulevard exit, I absently looked at the car to my left.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025

“Oh,” he muttered absently as he paused before a tower of brass movie cans, “what do we have here?”

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2023

He wonders whether he should wear a tux just to study the music, “holding the score against his chest, stroking it absently, like a kitten.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2023

Hector frowns, watching as she absently toys with the ring on her right hand.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023