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Not present; not in a particular place or situation.
Il était absent à la réunion.
He was absent from the meeting.
Elle est souvent absente de l'école.
She is often absent from school.
Can be used with 'de' to indicate absence from a place or event.
Distracted or preoccupied; not paying attention.
Il avait l'air absent pendant le cours.
He seemed absent during the class.
In this sense, it implies a mental absence rather than physical.
'Absent' can describe both physical and mental absence. Use context to determine the correct meaning.
Use 'de' to specify what or where someone is absent from (e.g., 'absent de la réunion').
From Latin 'absens', present participle of 'abesse' (to be away).
In formal contexts, 'être absent' is more common than 's'absenter'.