Third person singular present tense of absent; he/she/it removes or keeps oneself away from a place or situation.
From absent (verb, from Latin absentare) + -s (third person singular present marker). The verb form emerged in Middle English from the adjective absent.
In parliamentary procedure, when a legislator 'absents themselves' from a vote, it's different from voting no—absenting can sometimes be a strategic move to allow a measure to pass without officially endorsing it.
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