1. in a way that shows lack of attention or awareness of one’s surroundings

Examples

• She absently stirred her coffee while reading the newspaper.
• He absently nodded during the meeting, clearly thinking about something else.
• The student absently doodled in the margins of her notebook.
• She absently twirled her hair around her finger.
• He absently checked his phone for the third time in five minutes.
• The professor absently adjusted his glasses while lecturing.