in absentia

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

/ ɪn æbˈsɛn ʃə, -ʃi ə, -ti ə /

Save This Word!

adverb Latin.

in the absence of the person involved: He was sentenced in absentia by the court.

QUIZ

CUDDLE UP! A COZY QUIZ ON FALL WORDS HAS ARRIVED

If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Words nearby in absentia

in a bad way, in a big way, inability, in a bind, in a breeze, in absentia, inaccessible, inaccuracy, inaccurate, in a cold sweat, inaction

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use in absentia in a sentence

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal.
‘We Out Here’: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Earl Spencer adds, “Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law.”
The Real-Life ‘Downton’ Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lack of a gun is not likely to be a major problem for close-in air-to-air dogfights against other jets.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But those weapons are of limited utility, especially during close-in fights.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes!
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The commander-in-chief still kept him attached to the headquarter staff, and constantly employed him on special service.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Their jurisdictions overlapped and the Gascon would play second fiddle to no one save to his great brother-in-law.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
But the novel disappeared under the clothes with amazing celerity as the voice of her sister-in-law demanded admission.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for in absentia

in absentia

/ Latin (ɪn æbˈsɛntɪə) /

adverb

in the absence of (someone indicated)he was condemned in absentia

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with in absentia

in absentia

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.