I. ˈabsənt adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin absent-, absens, present participle of abesse to be away, be absent, from ab- ab- (I) + esse to be — more at is
1. : not present or not attending
absent committee members
: being elsewhere : missing
absent at roll call
: being away
absent from home
absent friends
2. : not existing in a place
a species totally absent in the Great Lakes
: lacking
danger in a situation where power is absent — M.H.Trytten
3. sometimes -er/-est : inattentive
his look had grown absent , as if he were calling up memories — William Black
: preoccupied
drew near to the fireplace, and looked into the flames in an absent mood — Thomas Hardy
• ab·sent·ly adverb
II. abˈsent, əb- transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English absenten, from Middle French absenter, from Late Latin absentare, from Latin absent-, absens
: to keep away
absents himself entirely from all fellowship — R.L.Stevenson
III. ˈabsənt preposition
Etymology: absent (I)
: in the absence of
under this definition, absent any other facts, there arises an implied contract — Journal American Medical Association