Showing results for "absent without leave"

• a variation of AWOL.

absent without leave

British  

adjective

1. military the full form of AWOL

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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.

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Example Sentences

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

Last month the country's defence minister revealed that a staggering 200,000 soldiers were absent without leave.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

It was unclear Monday if the soldier is considered absent without leave, or AWOL.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2024

Several men were absent without leave, and he attributed this unusual occurrence to the severe measures the colonel had taken when certain troopers refused to use the cartridges supplied for the new Enfield rifle.

From The Red Year A Story of the Indian Mutiny by Tracy, Louis