absent
absent
ab·sent
I
/ˈæbsənt/ adj
1 : not present at a usual or expected place
They were talking about absent friends. [=friends who were not there]
an absent father who is not home most of the time
The soldier was absent without leave. [=AWOL; absent without having permission to be absent]
Most of the executives attended the meeting, but the company president was conspicuously absent. [=conspicuous by his absence; it was very noticeable that the company president was not there]
— often + from
She was absent from work/school on three occasions.
2 : not present at all : not existing
a gene that occurs in mammals but that is absent in birds
a landscape in which vegetation is almost entirely absent
— sometimes + from
Vegetation is almost entirely absent from the landscape.
3 always used before a noun : showing that a person is thinking about something else : showing a lack of attention to what is happening or being said
He made an absent reply to her question as he continued to watch the TV.
There was an absent [=distracted] look on her face.
ab·sent·ly adv
He replied absently to her question.
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ab·sent
II
/æbˈsɛnt/ verb , -sents, -sent·ed, -sent·ing
absent yourself
formal : to go or stay away from something
He absented himself from the meeting.
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ab·sent
III
/ˈæbsənt/ prep
US formal : in the absence of (something) : without
Absent any objections, the plan will proceed.
Absent such an agreement we can go no further.
