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
Callie Heilmann, a founder of Bridgeport Generation Now, told Flexer and the other lawmakers on GAE, however, that implementing no-excuse absentee voting is not enough.
—
Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Despite those presidential assertions, widespread mail voting that replaced the old absentee voting system after the 2000 presidential election has been good for Florida Republicans.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
The main one is that the team is physically struggling, with many absentees and injuries, so manager Hansi Flick has been able to rotate the squad only very little, and there have been some highly intense matches in recent weeks.
—Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The 2005 report stated that absentee and mail-in ballots can create opportunities for fraud, but also suggested ways to reduce that risk and recommended further research on the issue.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for absentee
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Despite those presidential assertions, widespread mail voting that replaced the old absentee voting system after the 2000 presidential election has been good for Florida Republicans.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
The main one is that the team is physically struggling, with many absentees and injuries, so manager Hansi Flick has been able to rotate the squad only very little, and there have been some highly intense matches in recent weeks.
—Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The 2005 report stated that absentee and mail-in ballots can create opportunities for fraud, but also suggested ways to reduce that risk and recommended further research on the issue.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for absentee
Cite this Entry
“Absentee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absentee. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
