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absent

adjective · noun · verb

Simple meaning

Not being in a specified place.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

absuhnt

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈæbsənt

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. not comparable

    Not being in a specified place

  2. not comparable

    Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.

  3. comparable

    Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied.

noun

  1. with definite article

    Something absent, especially absent people collectively; those who were or are not there.

verb

  1. reflexive

    To keep (oneself) away.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Not being in a specified place

'Absent' often feels more formal than 'missing' or 'not here.' We use it for people, but also for things like ingredients or specific qualities, implying a noticeable lack.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Where you'll really hear it

  • School reports

    “Student was absent from class without excuse last Tuesday.”

  • Formal notices

    “The committee meeting will proceed, even with one member absent.”

  • Recipes/Instructions

    “This recipe is surprisingly good, even with sugar absent.”

Nearby words

  • absentminded , rarer, so it draws attention
  • awol , a specialist term, precise but narrower

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use absent

  • “He was absent from school because of a doctor's appointment.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

entirely absentcompletely absenttotally absentusually absentconspicuously absentabsent father

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • absenteenounRelated term

    One that is absent or not in residence.

  • absentee ballotnounRelated term

    A ballot that is cast while absent (usually mailed in prior to election day).

  • in absentiaadverbRelated term

    While absent.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

adjective

Sense: not being in a specified place

abstractedabsentmindedRaretruantawolTechnical

noun

Sense: something absent or especially absent people collectively

awol

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.