Looking up...
absent
/ab.sɑ̃/
not present
Il est absent aujourd'hui.
He is absent today.
general
not present in a place or situation
Elle était absente de la réunion hier.
She was absent from the meeting yesterday.
Les élèves absents doivent rattraper le cours.
Absent students must catch up on the lesson.
Used for people, animals, or things not physically or mentally present.
formal/literary
lacking or missing
Son courage était absent dans cette situation.
His courage was absent in that situation.
Often used figuratively to describe an absence of qualities or attributes.
Collocations
être absent deto be absent fromrester absentto remain absentabsent pour cause de maladieabsent due to illness
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Gender and Number Agreement
Remember that 'absent' changes form based on gender and number: 'absent' (masculine singular), 'absente' (feminine singular), 'absents' (masculine plural), 'absentes' (feminine plural).
Word Origin
From Latin *absens*, present participle of *abesse* (to be away), from *ab-* (away) + *esse* (to be).
Usage Notes
In French, 'absent' agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes (e.g., 'absente' for feminine singular, 'absents' for masculine plural).
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais