ENGLISH
REFERENCE

absentee

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˌæbsənˈti// UK //ˌæbsəntˈiː// ab·sen·tee Archaic

n. a person who is not present at a place where they are expected to be, like a school or a meeting. It is often used in official reports to count how many people are missing.

n. a person who is absent from a place or event, especially one where attendance is expected or required. Often used in administrative or legal contexts to refer to students, employees, or voters.


SIMPLE

The teacher marked three students as absentees today.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager noted that the number of absentees has increased since the new office policy was introduced.

COMPLEX

The final vote count was delayed because the committee had to wait for the arrival of several absentee ballots from citizens living abroad.

Origin

From absent + -ee.

Usage

Commonly used in the phrase 'absentee ballot' or 'absentee voter' in political contexts.

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