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absent without leave
adjective
: absent without authority from one's place of duty in the armed forces
Examples of absent without leave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No final decision has been made, officials said, and as of now King’s status is still AWOL, or absent without leave.
—Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Aug. 2023
Just last month, Daniel W. Swift, a Navy SEAL who was reported absent without leave, was killed in Ukraine, officials confirmed to CBS News.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2023
Under the Hunter provision, if members are absent without leave — something granted only by a majority vote — they can be punished.
—Dallas News, 11 Jan. 2023
The only judge to be convicted by the Senate was one impeached for being absent without leave.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1743, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of absent without leave was
in 1743
Dictionary Entries Near absent without leave
Cite this Entry
“Absent without leave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absent%20without%20leave. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Legal Definition
absent without leave
ab·sent with·out leave
: absent from one's place of duty in the armed forces without authority
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