absentee

noun

ab·​sen·​tee ˌab-sən-ˈtē 

: one that is absent: such as

a

: a proprietor of an estate or business who lives far away from it and rarely visits it

b

: one missing from work or school

absentee adjective

Examples of absentee in a Sentence

There were 10 sick absentees that day.

Recent Examples on the Web

As always there will be some late ballots, absentee, drop box, that will not be available on election night. — Whitman Littlefield, The Providence Journal, 9 Sep. 2026

These absentees leave Allegri’s midfield options as Kevin De Bruyne, Billy Gilmour, Stanislav Lobotka and Antonio Bergara. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The filing added that eligibility for mail-in and absentee voting will continue to be governed by state law and state and local officials will determine who is eligible to use the method and which ballots are eligible to be counted. — Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

That storyline gets told in flashback while a contemporary one follows Baksheng aiding 88-year-old Sogriu’s (Wu Shaoqing) in-debt grandson search for his absentee grandfather in Thailand. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Anglo-French abscenté "person holding property in Ireland but illegally resident in England," from past participle of absenter "to be absent," verbal derivative of absent absent entry 1

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing absentee

• absentee ballot
• absentee landlord

Rhymes for absentee

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

absentee

noun

ab·​sen·​tee ˌab-sən-ˈtē 

: a person who is absent

absentee adjective

Legal Definition

absentee

noun

ab·​sen·​tee ˌab-sən-ˈtē 

: one that is absent: as

a

: a proprietor who lives away from his or her business or estate

b

: a potential party to a legal action who is not present or does not have a representative present at a proceeding

absentee adjective