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

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

From BBC

The Church's own published list of accused clergy marks his case as "not yet resolved" with no final determination of guilt or innocence, noting simply that he is "AWOL" - absent without leave.

From BBC

When Hnezdilov went absent without leave, he went public with demands for a clear time frame for ending military service.

From BBC

While City’s midfield went absent without leave in the second half, the veteran Kyle Walker looked every one of his 34 years as he was given a torrid time by Kaoru Mitoma, then substitute Joao Pedro.

From BBC

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

From Seattle Times