fugitive

American  

[fyoo-ji-tiv] / ˈfju dʒɪ tɪv /

noun

• fugitives
  plural

1. 

   a person who is fleeing, as from prosecution, intolerable circumstances, etc.; a runaway.

   a fugitive from justice;

   a fugitive from a dictatorial regime.

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adjective

1. having taken flight, or run away.

   The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850 that led the United States even closer to civil war.

2. fleeting; transitory; elusive.

   fugitive thoughts that could not be formulated.

   Synonyms:

   temporary, brief, flying, passing, transient

   Antonyms:

   permanent

3. Fine Arts. changing color as a result of exposure to light and chemical substances present in the atmosphere, in other pigments, or in the medium.

4. dealing with subjects of passing interest, as writings; ephemeral.

   fugitive essays.

   Synonyms:

   light, trivial, evanescent, momentary

   Antonyms:

   lasting

5. wandering, roving, or vagabond.

   a fugitive carnival.

fugitive British  

/ ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv /

noun

1. a person who flees

2. a thing that is elusive or fleeting

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adjective

1. fleeing, esp from arrest or pursuit

2. not permanent; fleeting; transient

3. moving or roving about

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fugitiveness
  noun
• fugitivity
  noun
• nonfugitiveness
  noun
• nonfugitive
  adjective
• unfugitive
  adjective
• fugitively
  adverb
• nonfugitively
  adverb
• unfugitively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fugitives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of fugitive

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin fugitīvus “fleeing,” equivalent to fugit(us) (past participle of fugere “to flee”) + -īvus adjective suffix ( see -ive); replacing Middle English fugitif, from Old French

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Explanation

Someone who flees or runs away from the police to avoid capture is a fugitive. "Authorities were looking for three men who escaped from prison today. Authorities believe the three fugitives may be disguised as nuns and advise the public to be careful." Although a fugitive can specifically be someone fleeing from the police, the noun can also refer to anyone who is fleeing from an untenable situation. "The family asked for asylum in the United States because they were fugitives from their own oppressive government." As an adjective, the word can mean "fleeing or fleeting." "Many people helped the fugitive slaves to safety." "At night, he was plagued with fugitive thoughts: they seemed important when he woke from sleep, but by morning he had forgotten them."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fugitive fugitives

On Monday the Wall Street Journal reported that only days after being indicted for embezzlement, a fugitive donated $25,000 to the attorney general.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

While on the lam, Diamantis has tossed aside the standard fugitive playbook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

They sought a four-year jail term for Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former Renault-Nissan chief now living in Lebanon, who is being tried in absentia as part of the same trial in Paris.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

It has also prompted public outrage as to how a fugitive father, who had three children with him, could have evaded authorities for so long.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Under this law, the federal government must help recapture fugitives; to hide or “harbor” a fugitive is illegal.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Constitution mandates that states deliver fugitives upon proper demand—though it does not provide a time frame for a response—the judge’s hands were tied.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

The ban extends to fugitives, undocumented aliens, people dishonorably discharged from the military and people convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Five of these were now considered fugitives, it said.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Flock operates dozens of automated license plate readers, which allow authorities to scan for vehicles that have been reported stolen or are registered to known fugitives, tracking their movements throughout the city.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

Horse-mounted couriers and telegraph wires were alive all day with instructions to troops to enlist the help of fishermen and others on the river to capture the fugitives.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

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Related Words

• deserter
• escapee
• exile
• outcast
• outlaw
• refugee

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