What does absentee mean?
An absentee is a person who is absent, particularly from a place where their presence might be expected — a workplace, a classroom, a meeting, or even a country. The word is most familiar today through fixed phrases such as 'absentee ballot', meaning a vote cast by someone unable to attend a polling place in person, and 'absentee landlord', which describes a property owner who lives elsewhere and is often implied to neglect the premises. Derived from the Latin verb abesse, 'to be away', via the adjective 'absent', the noun entered English in the early sixteenth century. Its derivative 'absenteeism' refers to habitual, unexplained absence, especially from work or school, and carries a distinctly negative tone. Whether administrative, legal, or mildly critical, 'absentee' remains a precise and useful term for describing presence by its very lack.
A person who is absent, especially from work, school, a duty, or a place where they are expected.
"The manager reviewed the list of absentees before approving overtime."
Often used attributively in phrases such as 'absentee ballot' and 'absentee landlord'.
An owner of land, property, or a business who does not reside at or near it.
"The village complained that its absentee owners had let the mill decay."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple people who are absent or multiple non-resident owners.
"Nearly a third of the voters returned their ballots as absentees."
Absentee voting in America took off during the Civil War, when Union soldiers cast ballots from the front lines in 1864.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of absentee
Absentee derives from the Latin verb abesse, meaning 'to be away or absent', formed from ab- ('away from') plus esse ('to be'). It entered English in the early sixteenth century, built on the adjective 'absent', which had come through Old French from Latin absens, the present participle of abesse. The word shares this Latin root with 'absence' and 'absently'. The suffix -ee, indicating a person affected by or characterized by an action, gives the noun its sense of 'one who is absent'.
Related word forms
How absentee is actually used
Mostly neutral to slightly formal in register; 'absentee' often carries a faintly negative connotation when describing landlords or owners who neglect their property, while in contexts like elections ('absentee ballot') it is entirely neutral and administrative.
Easily confused with absentee
'Absence' is the state of being away, while an 'absentee' is the person who is away.