absent
AB-snt
Absent (adj) means not present in a place where one is expected to be. Example: “The manager was absent from the meeting again, so nothing could be decided.”
adj
1
Not present in a place where one is expected to be.
"The manager was absent from the meeting again, so nothing could be decided."
"Three students were absent from class today."
"He remained absent from work for two weeks after the accident."
2
Distracted or lost in thought; not paying attention to what is happening.
"She wore an absent smile while staring out of the window."
"An absent look crossed his face as the lecture droned on."
"He gave an absent nod, clearly thinking about something else."
verb
1
To deliberately keep oneself away from somewhere.
"He absented himself from the meeting to avoid the awkward discussion."
"Pupils may not absent themselves from lessons without a good reason."
"She absented herself from the argument entirely."
How to use absent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot there — whether physically missing from a place, or mentally somewhere else.
Common mistake
As a verb ("to absent oneself"), it is formal and reflexive — you don't simply say "I absented" without "myself/yourself" etc.
Common pairings
absent from
absent-minded
absent without leave
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like absent.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- absents
- Third person singular
- absents
- Past tense
- absented
- Comparative
- absenter
- Superlative
- absentest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The manager was _____ from the meeting again, so nothing could be decided.
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").
Synonyms
View more →
away
missing
elsewhere
truant
distracted
preoccupied
wanting
scatty
absentminded
lacking
abstracted
remove
Antonyms
Related words
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).
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include absent:
