Definition

Noun: 1. The act or condition of being absent without permission, especially from school: Truancy refers specifically to the failure to attend a required activity, most commonly used in the context of a student missing school without a valid excuse or authorization. 2. Habitual absence: It can also describe a pattern of such unauthorized absences.

Usage

Truancy is a formal term used primarily in educational, legal, and administrative contexts. It describes an unexcused absence, not a single instance of illness or a planned day off with parental permission. It implies a violation of rules or laws regarding compulsory attendance.

Examples

• The school has a strict policy to reduce student truancy.
• Chronic truancy is often linked to other problems a student may be facing.
• The city council discussed new programs to address the issue of truancy.

Advanced Usage

• Truancy officer: A school or government official responsible for investigating and dealing with cases of student absenteeism.
  • The truancy officer visited the home to understand why the child was not attending school.
• To be truant (adjective/verb): The related adjective and verb forms. A student who is absent is "truant," and the act itself can be called "playing truant" (chiefly British) or "truanting."
  • He was caught truanting from his afternoon classes.

Variants and Related Words

• Truant (noun): A student who stays away from school without permission.
  • The truants were found at the shopping mall.
• Truant (adjective): Characterized by or being absent.
  • a truant student
• Truant (verb, intransitive): To be absent without permission.
  • He was suspended for truanting.

Synonyms

• Absenteeism
• Unauthorized absence
• Skipping school (informal)
• Playing hooky (informal, chiefly US)

Related Phrases

• To play truant (idiom, chiefly British): To stay away from school without permission.
  • They decided to play truant and go to the beach.
• Truancy rate: A statistical measure of absenteeism within a school or district.
  • The school's truancy rate has fallen significantly this year.

Noun

1. failure to attend (especially school)