1
2
as in lacking
not present or in evidence
the city's usual stir of activity was conspicuously absent due to the report of an escaped lion from the zoo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in preoccupied
lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions
seemed absent when I told him you were coming because he nodded but didn't say anything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of absent
PC Magazine, 3 July 2025
The majority holds that, absent cumbersome class-action litigation, courts cannot completely enjoin even such plainly unlawful policies unless doing so is necessary to afford the formal parties complete relief.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, 27 Sep. 2018
See All Example Sentences for absent
Adjective
Many of the racist stereotypes depicted are negative toward Black people in the United States, showing them as monkeys, absent parents, or criminals.
—PC Magazine, 3 July 2025
The majority holds that, absent cumbersome class-action litigation, courts cannot completely enjoin even such plainly unlawful policies unless doing so is necessary to afford the formal parties complete relief.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 3 July 2025
Preposition
Under no circumstances should Brett Kavanaugh be confirmed absent a full and complete investigation.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Fox News, 27 Sep. 2018
See All Example Sentences for absent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absent
Adjective
-
Some of the dead and missing include campers of Camp Mystic — an all-girls, Christian summer camp — grandparents and a family of four.—
Nicholas Rice,
People.com,
6 July 2025
-
Police in the Turks and Caicos Islands have discovered the body of a man while searching for a New York man who went missing while vacationing in the Caribbean late last month.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
To examine this, researchers analyzed data from over 700 young adults aged 18 to 30, comparing emotional regulation and dependence levels across three attachment styles: secure, preoccupied and dismissing.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
-
In an era where so many action movies feel bloated, impersonal, or too preoccupied with setting up spin-offs, Plane is refreshingly straightforward.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Preposition
-
This year’s Happy Together Tour is, sadly, the first without Volman.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 July 2025
-
Congress just passed a major increase in immigration enforcement funding without amnesty, which Trump signed into law on July 4.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Those qualities, if combined with consistency, will quell any concerns about his adaptability to the Premier League and the need to fine-tune his out-of-possession attributes. 7.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
-
But the South Dakota hospital refused to submit the bill to his out-of-state Medicaid plan, instead sending it to Wirt and eventually threatening to send the debt to a collection agency.—
Arielle Zionts,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Guevara had warrants issued for his arrest in connection with charges of distracted driving, failing to obey a traffic control device and reckless driving, which were secured by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office on June 20.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
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For employers, this means a labor force comprised of people who are anxious, distracted, or simply not there, said Stacy Greiner, CEO of on-demand pay platform DailyPay.—
Susan Caminiti,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absent. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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