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.

Example Sentences

Twenty of those charged have fled abroad and were sentenced in absentia, while others have been held in detention since 2023.

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One of the suspects had already been convicted in absentia of acts of sabotage in Ukraine, Tusk told Poland's parliament.

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Protesters had demanded she be brought to justice, even in absentia, as a key step in moving the country toward democracy.

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Hasina, who has been tried in absentia, called the tribunal a "farce".

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In her first interview with the BBC since she fled the country on 5 August 2024, she said her trial in absentia was a "farce" orchestrated by a "kangaroo court" controlled by political opponents.

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