fugitive

American  

[fyoo-ji-tiv] / ˈfyu dʒɪ tɪv /

noun

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

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

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 ( -ive ); replacing Middle English fugitif, from Old French

Example Sentences

Bugie Kurniawan, head of the office, said the arrest served as a message that the Indonesian island "will never be a safe haven for international fugitives".

From BBC

In the end, Thomas More and his informants caught up with the fugitive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chang, a citizen of Taiwan, remains a fugitive, the department said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here was a new danger, a tiny fugitive too young to know the folly of making a noise.

From Literature

San Diego was considered one of America's most wanted fugitives and had featured five times on the Fox programme America's Most Wanted.

From BBC

Related Words

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