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.