deserter

American  

[dih-zur-ter] / dɪˈzɜr tər /

noun

1. a soldier or draftee who leaves or runs away from service or duty with the intention of never returning.

   Deserters from the rebel army tell of low morale among its remaining fighters.

2. a person who fails to uphold a cause or who abandons someone else, especially in violation of a promise or obligation.

   Some of those remaining in the home country view emigrants living abroad as deserters from their mother culture.

   A family deserter is one who can but will not support a spouse or dependents.

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Other Word Forms

• predeserter noun

Etymology

Origin of deserter

desert ² ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Some Russian courts still publicize military cases to create a chilling deterrent to potential deserters.

From New York Times

Mr Medvedev claims to have witnessed a host of war crimes - including seeing "deserters being executed" by the Wagner group's internal security service - while fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

From BBC

Indeed, the sledgehammer has become the group’s calling card after its members filmed themselves clubbing a Syrian army deserter in 2017, cutting off his hands and head with a shovel, then setting his body alight.

From Los Angeles Times

Plus, it would be great to see them beat the deserters.

From Los Angeles Times

Firing squads have never been a predominant method of carrying out civilian death sentences and are more closely associated with the military, including the execution of Civil War deserters.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• defector
• escapee
• lawbreaker