The state of being absent, often used in legal contexts like 'in absentia' meaning a trial or judgment that takes place without the defendant being present.
Latin absentia, directly from absentem (absent). Used in formal legal Latin phrases like 'in absentia.' The word entered English through legal terminology in the medieval period.
Famous trials in absentia include judgments against historical figures like Hitler (tried after WWII) and modern fugitives—courts can legally convict people of crimes without them physically present, though many countries now require the defendant's presence for fairness.
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