Standard Lemma guide

absenteeism

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /æb.sənˈtiːˌɪz.m̩/
  • US: /ˌæb.sənˈtiˌɪz.m̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AE2 B S AH0 N T IY1 IH0 Z AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being absent, especially frequently or without good reason; the practice of an absentee.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The practice of absenting oneself from the country or district where one's estate is situated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

habitual absence from work

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: absence

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h2epó Proto-Italic *ap Latin abder. Latin ab- Proto-Indo-European *h1es- Proto-Indo-European *h1ésti Proto-Indo-European *bhuH- Proto-Indo-European *bhúHt Proto-Italic *ezom~*som Old Latin 𐌄𐌔𐌏𐌌 (esom) Old Latin esum Latin sum Latin absum Latin absēnsder. Old French ausentder. Middle French absentbor. ▲ Latin absēnsbor. Middle English absent English absent English -ee English absentee Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English absenteeism From absentee + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: absenteizëm — state of being absent
  • Arabic: غِيَاب (ḡiyāb) — state of being absent
  • Chinese Mandarin: 曠課 /旷课 (kuàngkè) — state of being absent
  • Czech: absentérství — state of being absent
  • Dutch: absenteïsme — state of being absent
  • Dutch: (arbeids)verzuim — state of being absent
  • Dutch: (school)verzuim — state of being absent
  • Finnish: poissaolo — state of being absent
  • French: absentéisme — state of being absent
  • Greek: απουσιασμός (apousiasmós) — state of being absent
  • Indonesian: kealpaan — state of being absent
  • Irish: neamhláithreacht — state of being absent
  • Māori: takētanga — state of being absent
  • Polish: absencja — state of being absent
  • Romanian: absenteism — state of being absent
  • Russian: абсенти́зм (absentízm) — state of being absent
  • Spanish: absentismo — state of being absent
  • Spanish: ausentismo — state of being absent
  • Swedish: frånvaro — state of being absent
  • Turkish: devamsızlık — state of being absent