absentee

noun ab·sen·tee \ ˌab-sən-ˈtē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of absentee

: one that is absent: such as

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

b : one missing from work or school

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absentee

adjective

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Examples of absentee in a Sentence

There were 10 sick absentees that day.

Recent Examples of absentee from the Web

Chip Somodevilla Getty Images Nelson, meanwhile, hasn’t faced an election since 2012, back before Twitter posts and Facebook and YouTube ads were staples of campaign messaging and absentee voting exploded in the state.

— david smiley and alex daugherty, miamiherald, "Bill Nelson has never been tested like this. But neither has Rick Scott. | Miami Herald," 9 Apr. 2018
And 58% of all ballots two years ago were cast absentee.

— john myers, latimes.com, "Deconstructing Trump’s whopper about California voter fraud," 8 Apr. 2018
On making peace with absentee father Jay-Z's lyrics often center on his father, Adnis Reeves, who abandoned Carter, Jay-Z and his three siblings when the musician was 11 years old, leaving behind a deep emotional scar.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Jay-Z opens up to David Letterman about cheating on Beyonce and his mother's sexuality," 7 Apr. 2018
And Hunter, the wayward, absentee father, suspects that his daughter, Sam (Gideon Adlon), might be gay.

— stephanie zacharek, Time, "Review: In the Raunchy Blockers, It's the Adults Who Need to Grow Up," 6 Apr. 2018
Part of the reason there are vacant lots is those absentee owners are waiting for property values to go up in Imperial Beach.

— gustavo solis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "IB's war on blight claims another absentee landlord," 22 Mar. 2018
The race remained unsettled for days after the March 13 vote as absentee, military and provisional ballots were counted.

— Bloomberg.com, "Democrat Claims Pennsylvania House Seat, Saying Saccone Concedes," 22 Mar. 2018
Election officials said there are about 200 absentee votes and an unknown number of provisional ballots still to be counted.

— Fox News, "Confirmation battle looms for Pompeo, Haspel," 14 Mar. 2018
Voting by mail in municipal elections is not really new, as a large number of snowbirds and people on vacation have been voting absentee by mail ballots for years.

— tom mcgrath, Anchorage Daily News, "It’s time for Anchorage to join the future with vote-by-mail election," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'absentee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of absentee

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 ¹absent

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First Known Use: 1537

in the meaning defined above

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