absentee en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
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 English -ee English absentee From absent + -ee.
Meanings
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A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
At roll-call there were three absentees.
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(attributive) A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc. ▸ Designating a person absent in a particular capacity, sometimes implying that they are difficult to contact, unresponsive, avoiding their responsibilities, etc.
absentee father; absentee landlord; absentee freeholder
- A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc. ▸ A person who is absent from their residence and usual environment, and has not been seen or heard from for some period of time, so that it is unknown whether they are still alive, for the purpose of civil law dealing with the management of property etc. in such cases.
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Something that is not present where it might be expected.
The manufacturer's promised new model was a notable absentee at the car show.
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(attributive) Designating something whose owner, person responsible, etc. is absent.
In Wyoming, a GOP state senator forwarded an FGA draft bill to Secretary of State Chuck Gray that would prohibit sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms.
2024 March 17, Daniel Medina and Bob Ortega, “Emails show how a right-wing group steers GOP leaders on major policy issues”, in CNN:absentee ballot, absentee property
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(UK, historical) A landholder who lives in another district or country than the one in which his estate is situated.
My trustees are going to lend Earl Blessington sixty thousand pounds (at six per cent.) on a Dublin mortgage. Only think of my becoming an Irish absentee!
1840, Lord Byron, “Letter 374: to Mr. Moore (24 May 1820)”, in John Murray, editor, The Works of Lord Byron: With His Letters and Journals, and His Life, page 317:
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A voter who is not present at the time of voting; absentee voter.
In recent primaries, for example, nearly 4% of absentees were rejected in Philadelphia; 8% in Kentucky; and 20% in parts of New York City.
2020 September 14, Richard H. Pildes, “The three words that can avert an election nightmare”, in CNN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| absentees | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
absenteism · absentee voting · absentee vote · absenteeship · absentee ownership · presentee · absenteeist · absentee ballot
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (20)
it assente (person who is absent) · nl afwezige (person who is absent) · pt ausente (person who is absent) · de Abwesender (person who is absent) · el απών (person who is absent) · sc ausente (person who is absent) · pt absentista (landholder who doesn't live where his estate is) · fr absent (person who is absent) · es ausente (person who is absent) · ru отсу́тствующий (person who is absent) · es ausentado (person who is absent) · pt faltoso (person who is absent) · sc stesiau (person who is absent) · mi kaitakē (person who is absent) · fi poissaoleva (person who is absent) · sdc assenti (person who is absent) · sc ausente (person who is absent) · fi poissaoleva (one that is nonexistent or lacking) · de Abwesende (person who is absent) · sdn assenti (person who is absent)