absent for without

[ostap77]

1)Absent any objections,the plan will proceed.
2)Absent such an agreement we can go no further.

Basicaly, it meams 'without' here.
Could I use it in the middle of a sentence as in ''Services are being rendered absent a guarantee of quality"?

 

[Roman55]

And according to this it is a preposition, albeit "North American formal". I've only ever heard it in the TV series Spartacus, where it was used (along with other unnatural words to a modern ear) to give an impression of translated Latin.

Cross-posted with Piscean.

 

[GoesStation]

You may sometimes hear it in the phrase absent any [noun], where it means "in the absence of". It doesn't work elsewhere.

 

[Rover_KE]

I advise learners to stick to 'without'.

 

[Phaedrus]

''Services are being rendered absent a guarantee of quality"?

I don't think that sentence works with "absent," even though it would work if "absent" were replaced by "without" or "in the absence of," the very terms that are used to define "absent" as a preposition. Why is that? I think it's because there is an "unless" component to the meaning of "absent" as a preposition. "Without" and "in the absence of" can be used with an "unless" meaning, but they can also be used in other ways. The preposition "absent," on the other hand, requires the "unless" meaning. Thus:

1) Absent any objections [unless there are any objections],the plan will proceed.
2) Absent such an agreement [unless such an agreement is reached], we can go no further.
3) *Services are being rendered absent [unless there is] a guarantee of quality.

As to whether "absent" can be used in the middle, it absolutely can. (1) and (2) can be rearranged:

1') The plan will proceed(,) absent any objections.
2') We can go no further(,) absent such an agreement.