The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Absentee \Ab`sen*tee"\, n.
   One who absents himself from his country, office, post, or
   duty; especially, a landholder who lives in another country
   or district than that where his estate is situated; as, an
   Irish absentee. --Macaulay.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

absentee
    n 1: one that is absent or not in residence

Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

ABSENTEE. One who is away from his domicil, or usual place of residence.
     2. After an absence of seven years without being heard from, the
presumption of death arises. 2 Campb. R. 113; Hardin's R. 479; 18 Johns. R.
141 15 Mass. R. 805; Peake's Ev. c. 14, s. 1; 2 Stark. Ev. 457 8; 4 Barn. &
A. 422; 1 Stark. C. 121 Park on Ins. 433; 1 Bl. R. 404; Burr v. Simm, 4 Wh.
150; Bradley v. Bradley, 4 Wh. 173.
     3. In Louisiana, when a person possessed of either movable or immovable
property within the state, leaves it, without having appointed somebody to
take care of his estate; or when the person thus appointed dies, or is
either unable or unwilling to continue to administer that estate, then and
in that case, the judge of the place where the estate is situated, shall
appoint a curator to administer the same. Civ. Code of Lo. art. 50.  In the
appointment of this curator the judge shall prefer the wife of the absentee
to his presumptive heirs, the presumptive heirs to other relations; the
relations to strangers, and creditors to those who are not otherwise
interested, provided, however, that such persons be possessed of the
necessary qualifications. Ib. art. 51. For the French law on this subject,
vide Biret, de l'Absende; Code Civil, liv. l tit.. 4. Fouss. lib. 13 tit. 4,
n. 379-487; Merl. Rep. h.t.; and see also Ayl. Pand. 269; Dig. 50, 16, 198;
Ib. 50, 16, 173; Ib. 3, 3,,6; Code, 7 32 12.



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

ABSENTEE, n.  A person with an income who has had the forethought to
remove himself from the sphere of exaction.