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
Derived 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.
He was found to have been staying near his hometown of Castelvetrano in western Sicily, his fugitive lifestyle facilitated by his sister and close confidantes.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
The fugitive senator remains inside the building, said Remulla, who arrived on the scene minutes after the gunfire.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
It was like getting a fugitive glimpse of a future I wasn’t sure I wanted and certainly didn’t have the capacity to understand.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
Egisto Ott was charged with having handed over information to Russian intelligence officers and to Jan Marsalek, the fugitive executive of collapsed German payments firm Wirecard - allegedly receiving payment in return.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
He had been a prisoner, a snitch, a fugitive, and a thief, but never an employee.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
