How to pronounce absent
Say it like AB-sunt. Absent has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AB).
- AB
- sunt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Absent pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ABSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- suntKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of absent
American and British speakers say absent in essentially the same way: /ˈæbsənt/ in the US and /ˈæbsənt/ in the UK.
British respelling: AB-sunt.
What does absent mean?
- Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.“Owing to his own illness and then his family's, Ramzi has often been absent from class this month. We will help him catch up with his studies.”
- Not existing.“The body part was rudimentary or absent in 1% of specimens.”
- Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied.“Tom was there, but he seemed absent and withdrawn. Normally he is quite present [= engaged] during a meeting.”
- Something absent, especially absent people collectively; those who were or are not there.
- In the absence of; without; except.“Absent taxes modern governments cannot function.”
Where does absent come from?
From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
- remove
- lacking
- missing
- wanting
- absentminded
- abstracted
- scatty
Opposite meaning
Questions about saying absent
How do you pronounce absent?
Say AB-sunt. The American pronunciation is /ˈæbsənt/. In British English it is /ˈæbsənt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in absent?
Absent has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (AB). Broken into parts: AB · sunt.
Do Americans and Brits say absent the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈæbsənt/ and the British form is /ˈæbsənt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.