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

It has also prompted public outrage as to how a fugitive father, who had three children with him, could have evaded authorities for so long.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Baracus, an ex-Army commando fugitive, and as a professional wrestler with the World Wrestling Federation through the late 1980s, Mr. T is also known for his charitable contributions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

The fugitive slave clause was harder to explain, and here Mr. Rebeiro is at his best.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Instead, he asked the Texas secretary of state to consider whether Castro was a fugitive, and he refused to reach a decision on extraditing him until that question was answered.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

Jasper’s reward was fifty dollars, fifteen of that for the tinker who brought the fugitive to jail.

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

“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

She aptly notes, however, that the fierce defense of the fugitives in Christiana was rooted in “decades of tenacious, ever-evolving anti-slavery and Black rights efforts,” which had “spread out across Philadelphia and rural southeastern Pennsylvania.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 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

Since 1968, federal law has prohibited gun possession by felons, fugitives and other persons deemed to be dangerous.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

According to Sybil, Mingo told the constables that the farm harbored fugitives and provided the particulars for a successful ambush.

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

Related Words

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