in absentia

[in ab-sen-shuh, -shee-uh, -tee-uh]

adverb

Latin.

1. in the absence of the person involved.

   He was sentenced in absentia by the court.

in absentia

/ ɪn æbˈsɛntɪə /

adverb

1. in the absence of (someone indicated)

   he was condemned in absentia

Idioms and Phrases

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.