Absent Definition

ăbsənt

absents

adjective

Not present; missing.

Absent friends; absent parents.

American Heritage

Not present; away.

Webster's New World

Not existent; lacking.

A country in which morality is absent.

American Heritage

Not existing; lacking.

Webster's New World

Exhibiting or feeling inattentiveness.

An absent nod.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

absents

To keep (oneself) away.

To absent oneself from classes.

Webster's New World

(now reflexive) Keep away; stay away; go away. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

Wiktionary

(rare) Leave. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

preposition

Without.

American Heritage

In the absence of; lacking.

Absent her testimony, our case is weak.

Webster's New World

(law) In the absence of; without. [First attested in the mid 20^th century.]

Wiktionary

noun

(obsolete) Absentee; a person who is away on occasion. [Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the early 19^th century.]

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Origin of Absent

From Middle English absent, Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of abesse (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + esse (“to be”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old French from Latin absēns absent- present participle of abesse to be away ab- away ab–¹ esse to be es- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Old French absenter, from Late Latin absentare (“keep away, be away”).

From Wiktionary