Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *-o
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó
Proto-Italic *ap
Latin abder.
Latin ab-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti
Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-
Proto-Indo-European *-t
Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt
Proto-Italic *ezom~*som
Archaic Latin 𐌄𐌔𐌏𐌌 (esom)
Old Latin esum
Latin sum
Latin absum
Latin absēnsder.
Old French ausentder.
Middle French absentbor.
▲
Latin absēnsbor.
Middle English absent
English absent
From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.
When they were able to return to the clinic some months later, certain pieces of equipment were absent.
Expecting absent friends. 1623, William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well, II-iii:
Owing to his own illness and then his family's, Ramzi has often been absent from class this month. We will help him catch up with his studies.
(not-comparable) Not existing.
Empathy seemed to be absent from the messages.
Signs of forced entry were absent.
The body part was rudimentary or absent in 1% of specimens.
(comparable) Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied.
For days Ailie had an absent eye and a sad face, and it so fell out that in all that time young Heriotside, who had scarce missed a day, was laid up with a broken arm and never came near her. 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
What is commonly called an absent man is commonly either a very weak or a very affected man. 1746-1747, Chesterfield, Letters to his Son:
Tom was there, but he seemed absent and withdrawn. Normally he is quite present [= engaged] during a meeting.
mk отсутен (being away from a place) · vi lơ đãng (inattentive) · pt inexistente (not existing) · cmn 缺席 (being away from a place) · ka არდამსწრე (being away from a place) · sk neprítomný (being away from a place) · de abwesend (being away from a place) · ur غیر حاضر (being away from a place) · el ανύπαρκτος (not existing) · nl ontbrekend (not existing) · mi muhukai (inattentive) · el αφηρημένος (inattentive) · mr गैरहजर (being away from a place) · ja 欠席する (being away from a place) · nb fraværende (being away from a place) · fi poissa (oleva) (being away from a place) · es ausente (being away from a place) · ru несуществу́ющий (not existing) · af afwesig (not existing) · la amens (inattentive) · fi olematon (not existing) · mt nieqes (being away from a place) · pt ausente (inattentive) · ca absent (not existing) · pt ausente (being away from a place) · nn fråverande (inattentive) · hi ग़ैरहाज़िर (being away from a place) · grc οἰχόμενος (being away from a place) · ru отсу́тствующий (inattentive) · sh neprisutan (being away from a place) · ro absent (not existing) · sl odsoten (being away from a place) · el απών (being away from a place) · ro distrat (inattentive) · hi अनुपस्थित (being away from a place) · mi kaitu (being away from a place) · nl dromerig (inattentive) · it assente (not existing) · ur غائب (being away from a place) · nn fråverande (being away from a place) · ru отсу́тствующий (being away from a place) · pl nieobecny (being away from a place) · ro absent (being away from a place) · ja 無い (not existing) · sh неприсутан (being away from a place) · da fraværende (being away from a place) · nl elders met zijn gedachten (inattentive) · ar غَائِب (being away from a place) · hy բացակա (being away from a place) · nl weg (being away from a place) · be адсу́тнічаць (being away from a place) · es absente (disused) (not existing) · fr absent (being away from a place) · ko 결석하는 (being away from a place) · nl absent (being away from a place) · ro inexistent (not existing) · nl afwezig (inattentive) · ro neatent (inattentive) · fi puuttuva (not existing) · nl niet meer voorhanden (not existing) · it assente (inattentive) · hu hiányzó (not existing) · ast ausente (being away from a place) · vi vắng mặt (being away from a place) · fi poissaoleva (inattentive) · ro absent (inattentive) · et puuduv (being away from a place) · hu távol lévő (being away from a place) · es absente (disused) (inattentive) · bg отсъ́стващ (inattentive) · fr absent (not existing) · hy անջատված (inattentive) · tl liban (being away from a place) · fi puuttuva (being away from a place) · de geistig abwesend (inattentive) · fa غایب (being away from a place) · ka არმყოფი (being away from a place) · ang æfweard (being away from a place) · ko 없는 (being away from a place) · wyi abenden ngargit (inattentive) · la absēns (being away from a place) · ca absent (being away from a place) · es absente (disused) (being away from a place) · io absenta (being away from a place) · ja 持たない (not existing) · bg несъществу́ващ (not existing) · gu ગેરહાજર (being away from a place) · nn fråverande (not existing) · sh odsutan (being away from a place) · pt ausente (not existing) · ru отсу́тствовать (being away from a place) · mi tamō (being away from a place) · sv frånvarande (being away from a place) · ca absent (inattentive) · it assente (being away from a place) · mi ngaro (being away from a place) · th หายหัว (being away from a place) · nb fraværende (not existing) · th ไม่อยู่ (being away from a place) · ota اكسیك (not existing) · cs nepřítomný (being away from a place) · es ausente (inattentive) · ar شارِد (inattentive) · wyi yani'jak (being away from a place) · ms absen (being away from a place) · nl verstrooid (inattentive) · fr absent (inattentive) · uk відсу́тній (being away from a place) · mi matangaro (being away from a place) · sv frånvarande (not existing) · af afwesig (being away from a place) · es ausente (not existing) · es distraído (inattentive) · sv frånvarande (inattentive) · io absenta (not existing) · nb ikke-eksisterende (not existing) · nl tekort (not existing) · ru невнима́тельный (inattentive) · ota نقصان (not existing) · ro neexistent (not existing) · ja いない (being away from a place) · be адсу́тны (being away from a place) · nb fraværende (inattentive) · hu szórakozott (inattentive) · bg невнима́телен (inattentive) · ro neprezent (being away from a place) · nl afwezig (not existing) · nl afwezig (being away from a place) · bg отсъ́стващ (being away from a place) · hy բացակա (not existing) · gl ausente (being away from a place) · cmn 缺席 (inattentive) · tl huwat (being away from a place)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *-o
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó
Proto-Italic *ap
Latin abder.
Latin ab-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti
Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-
Proto-Indo-European *-t
Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt
Proto-Italic *ezom~*som
Archaic Latin 𐌄𐌔𐌏𐌌 (esom)
Old Latin esum
Latin sum
Latin absum
Latin absēnsder.
Old French ausentder.
Middle French absentbor.
▲
Latin absēnsbor.
Middle English absent
English absent
From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”).
Meanings
In the absence of; without; except.
About 25 percent of Russia’s large farms continue to be unprofitable, and that number would be considerably higher absent government subsidies and assistance programs. 2013, Stephen K. Wegren, “Agriculture”, in Stephen K. Wegren, editor, Return to Putin's Russia: Past Imperfect, Future Uncertain, 5th edition, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., →ISBN, page 223:
the Princess Caroline case […] established that – absent a measurable ‘public interest’ in publication – she was safe from being photographed while out shopping. 2011, David Elstein, London Review of Books, volume 33, number 15:
And the distraction-management software Freedom offers a mode that won’t unlock affected apps absent a telephone-support call. 2019 September 5, Ian Bogost, “I tried to limit my screen time (It didn't go well)”, in The Atlantic:
If the accused refuse upon demand to pay money or deliver property (absent any excuse or excusing circumstance) which came into his hands as a bailee, such refusal might well constitute some evidence of conversion, with the requisite fraudulent intent required by the statute. 1919, “State vs. Britt, Supreme Court of Missouri, Division 2”, in The Southwestern Reporter, page 427:
Absent taxes modern governments cannot function.
California cannot promulgate regulations that are inconsistent with US federal laws absent an explicit waiver from the federal government. 2020, Anu Bradford, “8. Is the Brussels Effect Beneficial?”, in The Brussels Effect. How the European Union Rules the World, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 258:
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alternative
lexicographic
Translations (9)
nl uitgezonderd (without) · nl behalve (without) · nl in afwezigheid van (without) · pt na ausência de (without) · nb uten (without) · nb unntatt (without) · fi vailla (without) · nl zonder (without) · fi ilman (without)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep
Proto-Indo-European *-o
Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó
Proto-Italic *ap
Latin abder.
Latin ab-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti
Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-
Proto-Indo-European *-t
Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt
Proto-Italic *ezom~*som
Archaic Latin 𐌄𐌔𐌏𐌌 (esom)
Old Latin esum
Latin sum
Latin absum
Latin absēnsder.
Old French ausentder.
Middle French absentbor.
▲
Latin absēnsbor.
Middle English absent
English absent
From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”).
Meanings
(with-definite-article) Something absent, especially absent people collectively; those who were or are not there.
The Applause he met with exceeds all belief of the Absent. 1772, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin 2001, 30 May
That very sense of longing, of yearning for the absent, which 'nostalgia' conveys to us now. 1947, Cecil Day Lewis, Poetic Image:
(Scotland, obsolete) An absentee; a person who is not there.
From Middle English absenten, from Old French absenter, from Late Latin absentāre (“keep away, be away”).
Meanings
(reflexive) To keep (oneself) away.
Some people expect that the news should be written "professionally," that it should conform to certain "journalistic standards," and that it should not "editorialize." And this is tantamount to saying it should be written objectively, that we should absent ourselves when writing copy. 1986 December 7, Marcos Bisticas-Cocoves, “Just the Facts, Miss Thing”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 21, page 1:
Most of the men are retired, jobless, or have otherwise temporarily absented themselves from the workplace.
This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half. 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:
If after due summons any member absents himself, he is to be fined. 1701-1703, Addison, Remarks on Italy:
Absent thee from felicity awhile, and in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, to tell my story. ca. 1600, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark:
(archaic, transitive) To keep (someone) away.
Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
(intransitive, obsolete) Stay away; withdraw.
The iron rule of the plantation, always passionately and violently enforced in that neighborhood, makes flogging the penalty of failing to be in the field before sunrise in the morning, unless special permission be given to the absenting slave. 1855, Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC:
(rare, transitive) Leave.
(rare, transitive) To omit.
When we realize that the digitalisation of the image involves - by reducing and even absenting - the role of 'the physical', the 'sensuous' (by reducing and eventually absenting the indexical aspects of the image) […] 2004, Paul Willemen, “Reflections on Eisenstein and Digital Imagery: Of Mice and Men”, in The Montage Principle, page 188:
Such sequences draw attention to the affective appeals that environmental documentary typically makes, precisely by absenting those appeals. 2018, Nicole Seymour, Bad Environmentalism, page 61:
la absum (to withhold from being present) · nl wegblijven van (to withhold from being present) · ca absentar (to withhold from being present) · id alpa (to withhold from being present) · el απουσιάζω (to withhold from being present) · eo foresti (to withhold from being present) · fi olla poissa (to withhold from being present) · id absen (to withhold from being present) · es ausentarse (to withhold from being present) · de fernbleiben (to withhold from being present) · pt ausentar (to withhold from being present) · io absenteskar (to withhold from being present) · de fehlen (to withhold from being present) · qu ch'usay (to withhold from being present) · nb absentere (to withhold from being present) · nl zich absenteren (to withhold from being present) · nl niet opdagen (to withhold from being present) · grc ἅπειμι (to withhold from being present) · mi takē (to withhold from being present)