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   Ab·sent

   adjective

   • 1. not present in a place, at an occasion, or as part of something: "most students were absent from school at least once" Similar awayoffoutnot presentnonattendingtruantnot workingnot at workoff dutyon leaveon annual leavegonemissinglackingunavailablenonexistentin absentiainformal:AWOLon holidayinformal:bunking offskivingwaggingOpposite present
   • 2. (of an expression or manner) showing that someone is not paying attention to what is being said or done: "she looked up with an absent smile" Similar distractedpreoccupiedinattentivevagueabsorbedabstractedunheedingobliviousdistraitabsentmindeddaydreamingdreamydreamingfar awaysomewhere elsemusingwoolgatheringwith one's head in the cloudsin a world of one's ownlost in thoughtin a brown studyblankemptyvacantvacuousinformal:miles awaynot with usOpposite attentivealert

   verb

   • 1. go away or remain away: "halfway through the meal, he absented himself from the table"

   preposition

   • 1. without: formal North American "employees could not be fired absent other evidence"

   Word Origin Middle English: via Old French from Latin absens, absent- ‘being absent’, present participle of abesse, from ab- ‘from, away’ + esse ‘to be’.

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • A

     1

   • B

     3

   • S

     1

   • E

     1

   • N

     1

   • T

     1

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