absent

absent — adjective

1. away from a place such as school, work, or a meeting where people expect you to

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

away from a place such as school, work, or a meeting where people expect you to be.

Example

Mia was absent from class on Friday because she had a sore throat.

absent from + place

Three players will be absent for Saturday's match against Brighton.

Common collocations
  • absent from school
  • absent from work
  • absent without leave
  • frequently absent
  • marked absent
Synonyms
  • away

    more neutral; doesn't suggest you were expected

  • missing

    stronger; suggests something is wrong or unexplained

  • off

    informal, common at work: 'off sick', 'off today'

Antonyms
  • present

    the standard opposite for school, work, meetings

Grammar Patterns

be absent from + place/event

Usage Note

Almost always used after 'be', 'seem', or 'remain' — never before a noun in this sense. Often followed by 'from' plus the place or event.

Common Mistakes

I was absent in school yesterday.
I was absent from school yesterday.
use 'from', not 'in'.
The absent student in my class is Tom.
The student absent from my class today is Tom.
don't put 'absent' before a noun in this sense; use it after 'be' or after the noun.

2. not found in something that should contain it — for example, a quality, feeling,

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

not found in something that should contain it — for example, a quality, feeling, or detail that you would expect to see is not there.

Example

Any sense of humour was absent from his report on the festival.

absent from + abstract noun

Warmth was completely absent from the manager's email to the team.

Common collocations
  • notably absent
  • conspicuously absent
  • largely absent
  • absent from the discussion
Synonyms
  • lacking

    very close; often interchangeable but slightly less formal

  • missing

    more everyday; suggests you notice the gap

  • nonexistent

    stronger; says the quality is not there at all

Antonyms
  • present

    as in 'a strong sense of warmth was present'

Grammar Patterns

be absent from + abstract noun

Usage Note

Subject is usually an abstract noun (quality, feeling, detail). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about a person not being at a place; this sense is about a quality not being inside something.

3. having your thoughts far away — used about someone, or the look on their face, w

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

having your thoughts far away — used about someone, or the look on their face, who is barely noticing what is going on nearby.

Example

Grandma stirred her tea with an absent smile, lost in old memories.

an absent smile/expression

The driver gave us an absent nod and went back to staring at the map.

Common collocations
  • an absent look
  • an absent smile
  • an absent expression
  • stare absently
Synonyms
  • distracted

    more common; emphasises something pulling attention away

  • absent-minded

    describes a habit of forgetting; this sense is more about a single moment

  • preoccupied

    stronger; suggests a worry on the person's mind

Antonyms
  • attentive

    actively watching and listening

  • alert

    fully aware of what is happening

Grammar Patterns

an absent + look/expression/smile

look absent

Usage Note

Often used before a noun describing a facial feature or sound (smile, look, nod, voice). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about attention, not physical location.

absent — verb

absent — preposition

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four say someone is not at a place, but they pull in different directions. 'Absent' is the most formal and is the standard word for school registers, work attendance sheets, and meeting minutes — it carries a sense of being expected. 'Missing' is stronger and often suggests something is wrong: a missing child or a missing employee implies worry, not just a day off. 'Away' is the most neutral and just states a fact: 'Sara is away this week' tells you nothing about why. 'Off' is the most informal and is the everyday choice in British workplaces — 'I'm off sick today' or 'She's off till Monday'. Compare: a teacher writes 'Tom was absent' in the register, a parent says 'Tom is off school today', and a worried friend says 'Tom is missing from class — has anyone seen him?'

absent ↗missingaway ↗off ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • absent without leave (AWOL)
  • conspicuous by their absence
  • absent friends

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the Latin verb 'abesse', meaning 'to be away' — formed from 'ab-' (away) and 'esse' (to be). The adjective form 'absens' entered Old French as 'absent' and reached English in the late 1300s, first as the adjective. The verb use ('to absent oneself') appeared in the 1400s, and the formal preposition use ('absent further evidence…') developed much later in American legal English in the 1900s.