in absentia

American  

[in ab-sen-shuh, -shee-uh, -tee-uh] / ɪn æbˈsɛn ʃə, -ʃi ə, -ti ə /

adverb

Latin.

1. in the absence of the person involved.

   He was sentenced in absentia by the court.

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in absentia British  

/ ɪn æbˈsɛntɪə /

adverb

1. in the absence of (someone indicated)

   he was condemned in absentia

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in absentia Idioms  

1. While not present, as in He was tried and convicted in absentia, or He was awarded his degree in absentia. This expression is Latin for “in absence”; its use in English dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in absentia

In October, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison, fined $35,000 and ordered to pay $26,806,901 in restitution.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Bashar and his brother Maher al-Assad were charged in absentia.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

He was sentenced in absentia after failing to appear in court.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

Last year, France's highest judicial court, the Court of Cassation, ordered a trial for six suspects, of whom three are in absentia and living in the West Bank, Jordan and Kuwait.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

The students of London University elected me president of their Students’ Union, in absentia.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela