truant

American  

[troo-uhnt] / ˈtru ənt /

noun

1. a student who stays away from school without permission.

2. a person who shirks or neglects a duty.

   Synonyms:

   malingerer, loafer, layabout, shirker, idler

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adjective

1. absent from school without permission.

2. neglectful of duty or responsibility; idle.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of a person who neglects a duty, responsibility, or required attendance.

verb (used without object)

1. to be neglectful of duty, responsibility, or attendence.

truant British  

/ ˈtruːənt /

noun

1. a person who is absent without leave, esp from school

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adjective

1. being or relating to a truant

verb

1. (intr) to play truant

Other Word Forms

• nontruant noun
• truancy noun
• truantly adverb
• untruant adjective

Etymology

Origin of truant

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English from Old French: “vagrant, beggar” from Celtic; compare Welsh truan “wretched, wretch”

Example Sentences

He was a serial truant and left school at 15 without learning to read or write.

From BBC

As one might have predicted, the trio of 14-year-old supposedly truant adolescents quickly overwhelmed the comic.

From Salon

Parents who allow their children to be chronically truant are hurting them and hurting us.

From Salon

Last winter, Kvistad doubled down, contacting educators in 19 King County districts and charter schools to improve communication about truant kids.

From Seattle Times

Statewide, nearly a quarter of American Indian and Alaska Native students were truant in the 2021-2022 school year, according to OSPI’s report.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• absentee