absentee
absentee Lexical Profile
absentee Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not present or residing at the place where one owns property, works, or is registered to vote.
"Many college students living away from home request an absentee ballot so they can still participate in local elections."
• noun
A person who is expected or required to be present at work, school, or an official gathering, but is not there.
"The teacher recorded the names of the three absentees before starting the morning lecture."
A proprietor or landlord who lives permanently away from the estate or property from which they derive income.
"Much of the agricultural land in the valley was owned by wealthy absentees living in the capital."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used as an adjective, 'absentee' is restricted to attributive positions directly before a noun (e.g., 'absentee ballot', 'absentee landlord'), whereas 'absent' is used for general states of being away and can appear after a linking verb.
• Rhymes for absentee
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 16th century from 'absent' plus the Anglo-French legal suffix '-ee', originally used in official contexts to designate English landlords who resided away from their estates in Ireland.