absent

American  

[ab-suhnt, ab-sent, ab-suhnt] / ˈæb sənt, æbˈsɛnt, ˈæb sənt /

adjective

1. not in a certain place at a given time; away, missing (present ).

   absent from class.

   Synonyms:

   off, out

   Antonyms:

   present

2. lacking; nonexistent.

   Revenge is absent from his mind.

3. not attentive; preoccupied; absent-minded.

   an absent look on his face.

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verb (used with object)

1. to take or keep (oneself ) away.

   to absent oneself from a meeting.

preposition

1. in the absence of; without.

   Absent some catastrophe, stock-market prices should soon improve.

absent British  

adjective

1. away or not present

2. lacking; missing

3. inattentive; absent-minded

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verb

1. (tr) to remove (oneself) or keep away

Other Word Forms

• absentation noun
• absenter noun
• absentness noun
• nonabsentation noun

Etymology

Origin of absent

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin absent-, stem of absēns “being away,” present participle of abesse “to be away,” from ab- ab- + esse “to be”

Explanation

Absent means not there. If you absent yourself from class, you're marked as absent. If you have an absent parent, it means they don't live with you or take part in your care. Absent can also describe a state of mind, meaning "not all there" or "lost in thought." If you are absent from class on a test day, you will have to explain your absence, unless your teacher is so absent minded she forgets and just gives you an A.

Example Sentences

Overall, “we see this as a modest positive for long-term strategic optionality, with no near-term impact on estimates absent a subsequent FDA decision that actually adds substances to an allowable compounding pathway,” BofA analysts wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Software stocks have been notably absent from the market’s early spring rally, which has taken the S&P 500 back to the all-time highs it reached in late January.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

About 25,000 doctors who could have been working were absent each day because of the strike in December, according to NHS England.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

The pastor said many congregants were absent because they had traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a March 29 rally of Iranian diaspora in support of the war.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Two or three times a year all the Herdmans would be absent at the same time and it was like a vacation.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Related Words

• devoid
• empty
• lacking
• missing
• nonexistent
• unavailable
• vacant