Absentee

/ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/ · noun

Meaning

A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc..

Definitions by Sense

1. A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
2. Something that is not present where it might be expected.
3. (attributive) Designating something whose owner, person responsible, etc. is absent.
4. (chiefly British, historical) A landholder who lives in another district or country than the one in which his estate is situated.
5. A voter who is not present at the time of voting; absentee voter.

Example Sentences

At roll-call there were three absentees.

The manufacturer's promised new model was a notable absentee at the car show.

absentee ballot, absentee property

In Wyoming, a GOP state senator forwarded an FGA draft bill to Secretary of State Chuck Gray that would prohibit sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms.

My trustees are going to lend Earl Blessington sixty thousand pounds (at six per cent.) on a Dublin mortgage. Only think of my becoming an Irish absentee!

In recent primaries, for example, nearly 4% of absentees were rejected in Philadelphia; 8% in Kentucky; and 20% in parts of New York City.

Synonyms for absentee

Antonyms for absentee

Related Words

Word Forms

• absentees

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions