AWOL
or awol, A.W.O.L., a.w.o.l.
[ pronounced as initials or ey-wawl, ey-wol ]
/ pronounced as initials or ˈeɪ wɔl, ˈeɪ wɒl /
adjective, adverb
away from military duties without permission, but without the intention of deserting.
noun
a soldier or other military person who is absent from duty without leave.
QUIZZES
WHO SAID IT: A QUIZ ON PRESIDENTIAL WIT AND WISDOM
Think you know your presidents? Take this quiz and see if you can match the style, wit, and ideology of these memorable lines to the right POTUS.
Question 1 of 9
“I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
Idioms for AWOL
- to depart from military duty without leave.
- to absent oneself without explanation.
go AWOL,
Also absent without leave .
Origin of AWOL
First recorded in 1915–20; A(bsent) W(ith)o(ut) L(eave)
Words nearby AWOL
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for AWOL
During a moment of crisis, Mohammed Morsi was AWOL, sending the wrong signal to Americans and Egyptians alike.
British Dictionary definitions for AWOL
AWOL
A.W.O.L.
/ (ˈeɪwɒl) /
adjective
military absent without leave; absent from one's post or duty without official permission but without intending to desert
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with AWOL
AWOL
see absent without leave.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.