fugitive
Americannoun
adjective
-
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.
-
fleeting; transitory; elusive.
fugitive thoughts that could not be formulated.
- Antonyms:
- permanent
-
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.
-
dealing with subjects of passing interest, as writings; ephemeral.
fugitive essays.
- Synonyms:
- light, trivial, evanescent, momentary
- Antonyms:
- lasting
-
wandering, roving, or vagabond.
a fugitive carnival.
noun
-
a person who flees
-
a thing that is elusive or fleeting
adjective
-
fleeing, esp from arrest or pursuit
-
not permanent; fleeting; transient
-
moving or roving about
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing fugitive
The Giver
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List 5
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Refugee
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
South African police say have they arrested "wanted fugitive" French-born Beninese activist Kemi Seba while he was allegedly attempting to flee to Europe through Zimbabwe.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Relations strained further when US troops killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in 2011 without telling Islamabad, and Pakistan faced accusations of complicity in harbouring the fugitive.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
The DOJ said in a statement on Thursday that it had arrested US-citizen Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw and Taiwanese citizen Ting-Wei "Willy" Sun, while Ruei-Tsang "Steven" Chang, a Taiwanese citizen, remains a fugitive.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
He was chased down as a fugitive aboard a Turkish steamer, returned to the U.S. for trial—and acquitted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
How would the words of a fugitive, desperate, tragic ugly look through pretty eyes?
From "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
