absent

1 of 3

adjective

ab·​sent ˈab-sənt How to pronounce absent (audio)
1
: not present at a usual or expected place : missing
was absent from class today
sharing memories of absent friends
She was conspicuously absent [=her absence was very noticeable] at the meeting.
2
: not existing : lacking
… danger in a situation where power is absentM. H. Trytten
a gene that occurs in mammals but is absent in birds
3
: showing a lack of attention to what is happening or being said : not attentive
had an absent look on her face
an absent reply
absently adverb
He replied absently to her question.

absent

2 of 3

verb

ab·​sent ab-ˈsent How to pronounce absent (audio)
ˈab-ˌsent
absented; absenting; absents

transitive verb

: to keep (oneself) away
He absented himself from the meeting.

absent

3 of 3

preposition

ab·​sent ˈab-sənt How to pronounce absent (audio)
US, formal
: in the absence of (something) : without
Absent any objections, the plan will proceed.
Choose the Right Synonym for absent

abstracted, preoccupied, absent, absent-minded, distracted mean inattentive to what claims or demands consideration.

abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters.

walking about with an abstracted air

preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others.

too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal

absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.

an absent stare

absent-minded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.

so absent-minded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes

distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.

was too distracted by grief to continue working

Examples of absent in a Sentence

Adjective an absent father who is not home most of the time a gene that occurs in mammals but that is absent in birds a landscape in which vegetation is almost entirely absent He made an absent reply to her question as he continued to watch the TV. Preposition Absent any objections, the plan will proceed. Absent such an agreement we can go no further.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Only Bob Wallace, its development driver who died in 2013, was absent. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 But Cortney isn’t present for interviews, so her perspective is absent. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Phoenix Friday afternoon for a victory lap after President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, though some prominent Arizona Democrats will be absent from her visit. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Carrier names and tail numbers are blurred or absent in the videos, consistent with tail-number redactions in documents the Washington human rights center has gradually received from ICE in the years after its 2019 reports. Mckenzie Funk, ProPublica, 8 Mar. 2024 Four of the 25 largest ensembles in the United States have an American at the podium, and at the nation’s biggest, most prestigious orchestras, American music directors are entirely absent. Javier C. Hernández, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Yunus and seven other defendants appeared in court Sunday and six others were absent. Associated Press, Quartz, 3 Mar. 2024 Last February, Kotb was absent from Today for two weeks when Hope experienced a medical crisis that landed her in the intensive care unit (ICU) for several days and in the hospital for more than a week. Charlotte Triggs, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 While these whales are abundant in other oceans, it is widely known among scientists that these creatures have been simply absent from Atlantic waters. Julia Daye, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Ultimately, there is only so much Samsung can do absent its own OS. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 But absent a cessation of hostilities, the war could convulse the region, bringing in anti-Israel factions based in Lebanon and Syria, and spawning an unprecedented flow of Palestinian refugees into Egypt. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 The big question here is whether Microsoft has control over OpenAI, absent an official acquisition. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2023 And absent a war with Iran or a resurgence of ISIS, this trend will continue. Steven Simon and Adam Weinstein, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2023 His father then absented himself from the boy’s life, leaving him nothing upon his death a few years later, when Pratt was thirteen. Hazlitt, 6 Sep. 2023 Investors are demanding historically high yields for US Treasury notes that mature in July, which by some estimates is when the United States will default on its debt, absent any legislative action. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 20 Apr. 2023 The case reinforced a constitutional doctrine that the press, absent a national emergency, should not be subject to prepublication censorship. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 16 June 2023 These regulatory actions—absent any law from Congress or public debate—have already had a chilling effect across the industry. Natalie Smolenski, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023
Preposition
Under no circumstances should Brett Kavanaugh be confirmed absent a full and complete investigation. Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, 27 Sep. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'absent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin absent-, absens, present participle of abesse "to be away, be absent," from ab- ab- + -sens, present participle (attested only with prefixes) of esse "to be" — more at is entry 1

Verb

Middle English absenten, borrowed from Anglo-French absenter, borrowed from Late Latin absentāre, verbal derivative of Latin absent-, absens absent entry 1

Preposition

derivative of absent entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of absent was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near absent

Cite this Entry

“Absent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absent. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

absent

1 of 2 adjective
ab·​sent ˈab-sənt How to pronounce absent (audio)
1
: not present or attending : missing
2
: not existing
enthusiasm was absent
3
: lost in thought : preoccupied
absently adverb

absent

2 of 2 verb
ab·​sent ab-ˈsent How to pronounce absent (audio)
: to keep (oneself) away

More from Merriam-Webster on absent

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