Definition of "absent" in English

adjective

1. (not comparable) Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.

   • Owing to his own illness and then his family's, Ramzi has often been absent from class this month. We will help him catch up with his studies.
   • When they were able to return to the clinic some months later, certain pieces of equipment were absent.

2. (not comparable) Not existing.

   • The body part was rudimentary or absent in 1% of specimens.
   • Empathy seemed to be absent from the messages.
   • Signs of forced entry were absent.

3. (comparable) Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied.

   • Tom was there, but he seemed absent and withdrawn. Normally he is quite present [= engaged] during a meeting.

noun

1. (with definite article) Something absent, especially absent people collectively; those who were or are not there.

   • The Applause he met with exceeds all belief of the Absent.

2. (obsolete, Scotland) An absentee; a person who is not there.

preposition

1. In the absence of; without; except.

   • Absent taxes modern governments cannot function.

verb

1. (reflexive) To keep (oneself) away.

   • Most of the men are retired, jobless, or have otherwise temporarily absented themselves from the workplace.

2. (transitive, archaic) To keep (someone) away.

3. (intransitive, obsolete) Stay away; withdraw.

4. (transitive, rare) Leave.

5. (transitive, rare) To omit.