Meanings
plural absenteeisms · alternative absenteism
- countableuncountableThe state of being absent, especially frequently or without good reason; the practice of an absentee.First known use First attested in the early 19ᵗʰ century.
Chronic absenteeism, for example, continues to be a problem despite some improvements.
2025 January 29, Jackie Valley, Jacob Turcotte, “‘The news is not good.’ Nation’s report card shows US students slipping further behind.”, in The Christian Science Monitor1 more example
The value of having in-house medical expertise is that staff with poor attendance records who have difficulty accessing NHS services can receive support from their employer, to help reduce absenteeism brought about by medical conditions.
2023 December 13, 'Industry Insider', “Delivering a robust timetable”, in RAIL, number 998, page 68 - countableuncountableThe practice of absenting oneself from the country or district where one's estate is situated.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
- Proto-Italic*ap
- Latinab
- Latinab-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁es-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁ésti
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰúHt
- Proto-Italic*ezom~*som
- Old Latinesum
- Latinsum
- Latinabsum
- Latinabsēns
- Old Frenchausent
- Middle Frenchabsent
- Latinabsēns
- Middle Englishabsent
- Englishabsent
- Englishabsentee
- Englishabsenteeism
Translations
Arabic غِيَاب
- غِيَاب (ḡiyāb)state of being absent
Chinese Mandarin 曠課 /旷课
- 曠課 /旷课 (kuàngkè)state of being absent
Czech absentérství
- absentérstvístate of being absent
Dutch absenteïsme, (arbeids)verzuim
- absenteïsmestate of being absent
- (arbeids)verzuimstate of being absent
- (school)verzuimstate of being absent
Finnish poissaolo
- poissaolostate of being absent
French absentéisme
- absentéismestate of being absent
Greek απουσιασμός
- απουσιασμός (apousiasmós)state of being absent
Indonesian kealpaan
- kealpaanstate of being absent
Irish neamhláithreacht
- neamhláithreachtstate of being absent
Māori takētanga
- takētangastate of being absent
Polish absencja
- absencjastate of being absent
Romanian absenteism
- absenteismstate of being absent
Russian абсенти́зм
- абсенти́зм (absentízm)state of being absent
Spanish absentismo, ausentismo
- absentismostate of being absent
- ausentismostate of being absent
Swedish frånvaro
- frånvarostate of being absent
Turkish devamsızlık
- devamsızlıkstate of being absent
Cite this entry
absenteeism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absenteeism
“absenteeism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absenteeism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “absenteeism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absenteeism.
Source: absenteeism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.