absentee

noun absentees

1. A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc. At roll-call there were three absentees.

   Similar: no-show

2. attributive Designating a person absent in a particular capacity, sometimes implying that they are difficult to contact, unresponsive, avoiding their responsibilities, etc. absentee father; absentee landlord; absentee freeholder

   Similar: no-show

3. A person who is absent from their residence and usual environment, and has not been seen or heard from for some period of time, so that it is unknown whether they are still alive, for the purpose of civil law dealing with the management of property etc. in such cases.

   Similar: no-show

4. Something that is not present where it might be expected. The manufacturer's promised new model was a notable absentee at the car show.
5. attributive Designating something whose owner, person responsible, etc. is absent. absentee ballot, absentee property
6. UK, historical A landholder who lives in another district or country than the one in which his estate is situated. My trustees are going to lend Earl Blessington sixty thousand pounds (at six per cent.) on a Dublin mortgage. Only think of my becoming an Irish absentee!
7. A voter who is not present at the time of voting; absentee voter. In recent primaries, for example, nearly 4% of absentees were rejected in Philadelphia; 8% in Kentucky; and 20% in parts of New York City.