Showing results for "absent without leave"

• a variation of AWOL.

absent without leave

British  

adjective

1. military the full form of AWOL

---

absent without leave Idioms  

1. Away without permission or explanation, as in Her daughter went to the mall but got in trouble for being absent without leave. The term and its acronym, AWOL, originated in the American military during World War I for soldiers absent from duty without permission (leave). It later was transferred to civilian situations, as in John didn't just cut his Tuesday classes; he went AWOL.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

absent without leave

He has been absent without leave since June 14, apparently in a “D.C. area hospital” receiving “excellent care.”

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

Despite the national veneration of units like Vizirenko’s, Ukraine has struggled to recruit and retain fighters, with about 200,000 listed as absent without leave, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told the country’s parliament in January.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Homeless people were screened, as were any soldiers absent without leave on 28 June 1967.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025

While he was gone, Army leaders declared him absent without leave, opting to not consider him a deserter, which is far more serious.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 19, 2023

He is furious about it, and declares that he will catch him and have him tried by court-martial for being absent without leave.

From Condemned as a Nihilist A Story of Escape from Siberia by Paget, Walter