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

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

It has so far not called him a deserter, even though he crossed the border without authorization while on active duty, and it has deferred questions about any punishments King might face.

From Reuters • Sep. 28, 2023

As a deserter from the Ukrainian army, he would face 10 years in jail if he was caught.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2023

A third publicly known Russian deserter in Europe, a former army mechanic named Nikita Chibrin, has had a pending asylum claim in Spain since November.

From New York Times • May 28, 2023

Champe was “charmed with the plan,” which Washington himself had hatched: Pretend you are a deserter.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

Related Words

• defector
• escapee
• lawbreaker