What does absenting mean?
Absenting is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'to absent', meaning to withdraw or keep oneself away from a place, duty, or event. It is used almost exclusively in the reflexive construction 'absenting oneself from something', which lends it a formal, sometimes legalistic tone. To say that someone is absenting themselves implies a deliberate choice rather than accidental absence — a student absenting herself from class has chosen not to attend. The word appears frequently in official, journalistic, and parliamentary contexts, often with a hint of censure, since absenting oneself from an obligation can suggest evasion or protest. Its closest everyday equivalents are 'withdrawing' or 'staying away', but neither captures quite so precisely the sense of a conscious act of self-removal that 'absenting' conveys.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'absent')The act of deliberately staying away or withdrawing oneself from a place, duty, or situation; the present participle and gerund form of the verb 'absent', used chiefly in the reflexive phrase 'absenting oneself'.
- To withdraw or keep oneself away from a place, duty, or gathering, especially deliberately (used reflexively as 'absent oneself').
"She was reprimanded for repeatedly absenting herself from staff meetings."
"The senator drew criticism for absenting himself from the crucial vote."
"By absenting herself from the negotiations, she signalled her disapproval without saying a word."
Unlike most verbs of leaving, 'absent' almost never appears without 'oneself' attached — you can't simply absent a room, only yourself from it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of absenting
Absenting derives from the verb 'absent', which entered English in the late Middle English period via Old French 'absenter', itself from Latin 'absens', the present participle of 'abesse' — 'to be away', formed from 'ab-' ('away from') plus 'esse' ('to be'). The same Latin root gives English words such as 'absence', 'absentee', and, more distantly through related formations, 'abstain' and 'abstinence'. The reflexive verb use ('absent oneself') became established by the early modern period.
Related word forms
How absenting is actually used
Formal to legalistic in register. The verb 'absent' is used almost exclusively in the reflexive construction 'absent oneself from something'; it carries a connotation of deliberate, often self-protective withdrawal rather than mere absence.
Easily confused with absenting
'Absence' is a noun referring to the state of being away, while 'absenting' is a verb form describing the deliberate act of removing oneself.