Absenting

not in a certain place at a given time; away, missing (opposed to ):
absent from cl-ss.
lacking; nonexistent:
revenge is absent from his mind.
not attentive; preoccupied; absent-minded:
an absent look on his face.
to take or keep (oneself) away:
to absent oneself from a meeting.
in the of; without:
absent some catastrophe, stock-market prices should soon improve.
contemporary examples

others are absenting themselves as part of an apparent protest.
the right invades washington samuel p. jacobs, shushannah walshe february 7, 2011

historical examples

sir richard saltonstall was fined four bushels of malt for absenting himself from the meeting.
the great events by famous historians, volume 11 various

it is noteworthy that he was never fined for absenting himself as others were.
shakespeare’s family mrs. c. c. stopes

as the time for the wedding drew near, voorst fell into the way of absenting himself a good deal from home.
just sixteen. susan coolidge

or has she another motive for absenting herself so frequently from her home?
the wild huntress mayne reid

fifty years ago hardly any one thought of absenting himself or herself from public worship.
the olden time series, vol. 3: new-england sunday henry m. brooks

yet i suppose he was in the habit of absenting himself from home?
the leavenworth case anna katherine green

the natives of the place had offended the khalifa by absenting themselves from omdurman, and so were being cruelly maltreated.
khartoum campaign, 1898 bennet burleigh

you are going to desolate us, jacint-to, by absenting yourself?
the wolf cub patrick casey

instead of absenting himself from home, frederick was unremitting in his attendance upon her.
great porter square, v. 1 benjamin leopold farjeon

adjective (ˈæbsənt)
away or not present
lacking; missing
inattentive; absent-minded
verb (æbˈsɛnt)
(transitive) to remove (oneself) or keep away
adj.

late 14c., from middle french absent (old french ausent), from latin absentem (nominative absens), present participle of abesse “be away from, be absent” (see absence). related: absently; absentness.
v.

“to keep away” (from), c.1400, from middle french absenter, from late latin absentare “cause to be away,” from latin absentem (see absent (adj.)). related: absented; absenting.
prep.

“in the absence of,” 1944, princ-p-lly from u.s. legal use, from absent (v.).