absent

12 synonyms and 1 antonym for absent, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Not present in a place where one is expected to be.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

away missing elsewhere wanting remove

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

distracted preoccupied lacking

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

truant scatty absentminded abstracted

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adj

Not present in a place where one is expected to be.

“The manager was absent from the meeting again, so nothing could be decided.”

away missing elsewhere truant distracted preoccupied wanting scatty absentminded lacking abstracted

Opposites

present

2. verb

To deliberately keep oneself away from somewhere.

“He absented himself from the meeting to avoid the awkward discussion.”

remove

How to use absent

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

absent from absent-minded absent without leave

Etymology

From Old French absent, from Latin absens, the present participle of absum, "to be away from" — built from ab ("away") and sum ("to be").

Full origin of absent →

Frequently asked questions

What does “absent” mean?

The word “absent” means not present in a place where one is expected to be. In plain terms, not there — whether physically missing from a place, or mentally somewhere else.

How do you pronounce “absent”?

“Absent” is pronounced AB-snt (/ˈæb.sn̩t/ in IPA).

How do you use “absent” in a sentence?

Here is “absent” used in a sentence: “Three students were absent from class today.”

What part of speech is “absent”?

Depending on how it is used, “absent” can be an adjective and a verb.

Where does the word “absent” come from?

The word “absent” comes from Latin. From Old French absent, from Latin absens, the present participle of absum, "to be away from" — built from ab ("away") and sum ("to be").

Is “absent” a common word?

“Absent” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “absent” have?

“Absent” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: not present in a place where one is expected to be.

What is the difference between absent and absence?

Absent is the adjective — 'she was absent from school' — while absence is the noun naming the state: 'her absence was noticed.' A common mistake is writing 'in his absent'; after 'in his' or 'in her' the noun absence is required.

What is the difference between absent and missing?

Absent means not present in a place where someone or something is expected to be, as with a pupil absent from class. Missing suggests that something cannot be found or accounted for, and it often carries worry, as in a missing wallet or a missing person.

How is absent used as a verb?

As a verb, absent is almost always reflexive: you absent yourself from a place, meaning you deliberately keep away from it, as in 'he absented himself from the meeting.' The verb is stressed on the second syllable (ab-SENT), unlike the adjective (AB-sent).

People also searched

away present missing remove elsewhere wanting lacking distracted preoccupied abstracted truant

Nearby words

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