fugitive

American  

[fyoo-ji-tiv] / ˈfju dʒɪ tɪv /

noun

• fugitives
  plural

1. 

   a person who is fleeing, as from prosecution, intolerable circumstances, etc.; a runaway.

   a fugitive from justice;

   a fugitive from a dictatorial regime.

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adjective

1. having taken flight, or run away.

   The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850 that led the United States even closer to civil war.

2. fleeting; transitory; elusive.

   fugitive thoughts that could not be formulated.

   Synonyms:

   temporary, brief, flying, passing, transient

   Antonyms:

   permanent

3. Fine Arts. changing color as a result of exposure to light and chemical substances present in the atmosphere, in other pigments, or in the medium.

4. dealing with subjects of passing interest, as writings; ephemeral.

   fugitive essays.

   Synonyms:

   light, trivial, evanescent, momentary

   Antonyms:

   lasting

5. wandering, roving, or vagabond.

   a fugitive carnival.

fugitive British  

/ ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv /

noun

1. a person who flees

2. a thing that is elusive or fleeting

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adjective

1. fleeing, esp from arrest or pursuit

2. not permanent; fleeting; transient

3. moving or roving about

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fugitiveness
  noun
• fugitivity
  noun
• nonfugitiveness
  noun
• nonfugitive
  adjective
• unfugitive
  adjective
• fugitively
  adverb
• nonfugitively
  adverb
• unfugitively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fugitives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fugitive

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin fugitīvus “fleeing,” equivalent to fugit(us) (past participle of fugere “to flee”) + -īvus adjective suffix ( see -ive); replacing Middle English fugitif, from Old French

Explanation

Someone who flees or runs away from the police to avoid capture is a fugitive. "Authorities were looking for three men who escaped from prison today. Authorities believe the three fugitives may be disguised as nuns and advise the public to be careful." Although a fugitive can specifically be someone fleeing from the police, the noun can also refer to anyone who is fleeing from an untenable situation. "The family asked for asylum in the United States because they were fugitives from their own oppressive government." As an adjective, the word can mean "fleeing or fleeting." "Many people helped the fugitive slaves to safety." "At night, he was plagued with fugitive thoughts: they seemed important when he woke from sleep, but by morning he had forgotten them."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fugitive fugitives

The teenager, who is not being named because she is a minor, was recently found in Mexico with her fugitive father, Sergio Galvez Perez, who was arrested.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

They sought a four-year jail term for Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former Renault-Nissan chief now living in Lebanon, who is being tried in absentia as part of the same trial in Paris.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

However, he did flag that Abbott’s defense, which hinges on the question of whether Castro is a fugitive, is suspect.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

The fugitive businessman, who is married to a Russian pop singer, now lives near Moscow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Without that bright-blue symbol, Pong was a fugitive.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

“Sorcerer” is about a group of fugitives driving a load of dynamite across the jungle; “The Weight” follows a group of Depression-era convicts transferring gold through the forest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Many members of his inner circle, including family members, were dead, fugitives or behind bars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Constitution mandates that states deliver fugitives upon proper demand—though it does not provide a time frame for a response—the judge’s hands were tied.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

"Let this be a stern warning to criminals across the world, that South Africa is not a hide-out for fugitives," said Mathe, speaking to reporters.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Royal scouted the city jail for runaways the lawyer might defend, ran messages between enigmatic persons, and distributed funds from antislavery societies to relocated fugitives.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Related Words

• deserter
• escapee
• exile
• outcast
• outlaw
• refugee