A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
At roll-call there were three absentees.
Absentee means: A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. It is an education-system term, so usage is institutional and routine. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Absentee means: A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. It is an education-system term, so usage is institutional and routine. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "absentee".
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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(US) A vote cast by a voter by mail because of absence from the precinct during the election, typically military members.
(US) A vote made remotely, especially a postal vote, cast by a voter unable to be present in person.
(military) Absence without proper authority from the properly appointed place of duty, or from unit, organization, or other place of duty at which one is required to be at the time prescribed.
"...over 104,000 votes had been cast so far in the primary elections. Of those, 45,000 were absentee ballots"
absentee means: A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.. Register: neutral, standard English. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
“"...over 104,000 votes had been cast so far in the primary elections. Of those, 45,000 were absentee ballots"”
“It especially sucks when you want to do the right thing, to go vote, but you're getting to be too disabled and you didn't plan for this so an absentee ballot isn't possible. I think I'll just request mail-in ballots for the future to be sure I can vote from now on.”
“Vargas: Curran Must Remove ‘Part-Time Plummer’ Over 35% Absentee Record and Gun Vote No-Show”
“Exactly. He's obviously an absentee father on so many levels.”
“SC folks, the Democratic primary is June 9th—caught me by surprise as I thought it was later in the month. Check your voter registration click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.fY... and request absentee ballots now if you need to.”
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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.
“Can I sue the government if they try to ban absentee/mail in voting and I have anxiety around crowds?”
“Voting rights advocates report problems with new Ohio law on absentee ballots by Jo Ingles www.ideastream.org/2026-05-05/v...”
““Mixing magic with the very real social issue of absentee dads and parental separation, it’s quite the frenetic romp.” -Downthetubes.net Purchase your copy here! www.selfmadehero.com/books/my-dad... @abbiebsart.bsky.social @selfmadehero.bsky.social”
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(attributive) Designating something whose owner, person responsible, etc. is absent.
absentee ballot, absentee property
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