Fugitive Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Definition of fugitive ; 1 · running away or intending flight a fugitive slave ; 2 · moving from place to place : wandering the fugitive clouds of the sky ; 4 · being ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut fugitive adjective SaveWord fu·​gi·​tive |\ˈfyü-jə-tiv \ Definitionoffugitive (Entry1of2) 1 :runningawayorintendingflight afugitiveslaveafugitivedebtor 2 :movingfromplacetoplace:wandering thefugitivecloudsofthesky—K.K.Darrow 3a :beingofshortduration thejournalist…isconcernedonlywiththefugitivemoment—A.L.Guerard b :difficulttograsporretain:elusive thoughtisclearormuddy,graspableorfugitive—J.M.Barzun c :likelytoevaporate,deteriorate,change,fade,ordisappear dyedwithfugitivecolors 4 :beingoftransient(seetransiententry1sense1)interest fugitiveessays fugitive noun Definitionoffugitive (Entry2of2) 1 :apersonwhofleesortriestoescape:suchas a :apersonwhofleesacountryorlocationtoescapedanger(suchaswar)orpersecution:refugee b :aperson(suchasasuspect,witness,ordefendant)involvedinacriminalcasewhotriestoeludelawenforcementespeciallybyfleeingthejurisdiction —calledalso fugitivefromjustice 2 :somethingelusiveorhardtofind OtherWordsfromfugitive Synonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym Didyouknow? MoreExampleSentences PhrasesContainingfugitive LearnMoreAboutfugitive OtherWordsfromfugitive Adjective fugitively adverb fugitiveness noun Synonymsforfugitive Synonyms:Adjective elusive, evasive, slippery VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforfugitive Adjective transient,transitory,ephemeral,momentary,fugitive,fleeting,evanescentmeanlastingorstayingonlyashorttime.transientappliestowhatisactuallyshortinitsdurationorstay. ahotelcateringprimarilytotransientguests transitoryappliestowhatisbyitsnatureoressenceboundtochange,pass,orcometoanend. fameinthemoviesistransitory ephemeralimpliesstrikingbrevityoflifeorduration. manyslangwordsareephemeral momentarysuggestscomingandgoingquicklyandthereforebeingmerelyabriefinterruptionofamoreenduringstate. myfeelingsofguiltwereonlymomentary fugitiveandfleetingimplypassingsoquicklyastomakeapprehendingdifficult. letafugitivesmileflitacrosshisface fleetingmomentsofjoy evanescentsuggestsaquickvanishingandanairyorfragilequality. thestoryhasanevanescenttouchofwhimsythatislostintranslation Didyouknow? FugitivewasadoptedintoEnglishasbothanounandanadjectiveinthe14thcenturyfromtheLatinadjectivefugitivus,whichitselfcomesfromtheverbfugere,meaning“toflee.” ExamplesoffugitiveinaSentence Adjective Ashedaydreamed,fugitivethoughtspassedthroughhismind. thatfugitivetraitcalledartisticcreativity Noun Theydiscoveredthathewasafugitiveofthelaw. RecentExamplesontheWeb:Adjective Federallawnowforcedfreestatestoaidinthereturnoffugitiveslaves,andNorthernopinionhardeneddecisively. — MarcM.Arkin,WSJ,6Feb.2022 ThesegroupsevolvedintomilitiassuchastheTexasRangers,whichprosecutedwaragainsttheKarankawa,Cherokee,andComanchetribalnations,pursuedfugitiveslavesintoMexico,andestablishedcontroloverethnicMexicancommunities. — AliciaSchmidtCamacho,TheNewYorker,19Jan.2022 Shewasarrestedonafugitivewarrantinconnectionwiththeout-of-statehomicide. — DavidHernandez,SanDiegoUnion-Tribune,23Mar.2022 TheBostonPoliceDepartment’sfugitiveunitmadeimmediateinroadsintothecaseSaturday,accordingtocourttestimony,afterspeakingwithmanyofthedefendant’sco-workersandwitnessesfromthescene. — MeghanOttolini,chicagotribune.com,21Mar.2022 NormanbelievedHamleywasafugitivesearchingforagun,butHamleyhadtoyballsinhispocket. — TeresaMoss,ArkansasOnline,19Mar.2022 Shmuel,seethingwithsuspicion,secretlyfollowsZalmyononeofhisfugitiveoutings. — LosAngelesTimes,14Mar.2022 MelngailisandStrangiswerearrestedonfugitive-from-justicewarrantsafterorderingDominosPizzaandasideofchickenwings—theactthatrevealedtheirlocation. — SkylerCaruso,PEOPLE.com,14Mar.2022 Sotheimmediategoalistolimitflaringandmitigatefugitiveemissionssuchasmethane—agreenhousegasthatisfarmorepotentthanCO2. — KenSilverstein,Forbes,14Mar.2022 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun Williamswasarrestedonachargeofbeingafugitivefromjustice,policesaid. — HartfordCourant,13Apr.2022 Alcalaescapedthroughabackdoorandbecameafugitive. — BostonGlobe.com,26July2021 Alcalaescapedthroughabackdoorandbecameafugitive. — WashingtonPost,25July2021 Thoseprinciples—forwhichLockebecameafugitiveandriskedhislife—includedgovernmentbyconsent,theseparationofpowers,equaljustice,andreligiousfreedom. — JosephLoconte,NationalReview,4July2021 Thehighest-rankingfugitiveinthecaseisTomásZeron,whoatthetimeoftheabductionwastheheadofthefederalinvestigationagency. — MarÍaVerza,StarTribune,26Sep.2020 ABCNewsmetwithamanwhoclaimedtohavebeenthatRussiannationalwhocorroboratedsomeofRuffo'sstoriesbutdeniedotherclaimsthefugitivemade. — BytonyaSimpson,mattCullinan,ivanPereira,ABCNews,24Mar.2022 Thesix-foot-one-inchfugitivesettledintoarural,easternmountaincommunitynearElYunquerainforest,livinginahouseinfrontofastreetwithnonameinaworking-classneighborhood,Torressaid. — DÁnicaCoto,ajc,4Mar.2022 SomelaterspeculatedthatPenn’sinterviewwithGuzmanmayhavehelpedMexicanauthoritiesrecapturethethen-fugitiveafterGuzmanhadescapedfromprison. — MegJames,LosAngelesTimes,26Feb.2022 SeeMore Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'fugitive.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. PhrasesContainingfugitive fugitivefromjustice fugitivefromjustice FirstKnownUseoffugitive Adjective 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1Noun 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1 HistoryandEtymologyforfugitive AdjectiveandNoun MiddleEnglish,fromMiddleFrench&Latin;MiddleFrenchfugitif,fromLatinfugitivus,fromfugitus,pastparticipleoffugeretoflee;akintoGreekpheugeintoflee LearnMoreAboutfugitive Sharefugitive PosttheDefinitionoffugitivetoFacebook SharetheDefinitionoffugitiveonTwitter TimeTravelerforfugitive Thefirstknownuseoffugitivewas inthe14thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury ListentoOurPodcastAboutfugitive ThememusicbyJoshuaStamper©2006NewJerusalemMusic/ASCAP GetWordoftheDaydeliveredtoyourinbox! SignUp FromtheEditorsatMerriam-Webster TheOriginof'Refugee' TheOriginof'Refugee' ThewordoriginallyreferredtotheHuguenots DictionaryEntriesNearfugitive fugitation fugitive fugitivefromjustice SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforfugitive LastUpdated 12Apr2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Fugitive.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fugitive.Accessed2May.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforfugitive fugitive adjective fu·​gi·​tive |\ˈfyü-jə-tiv \ KidsDefinitionoffugitive (Entry1of2) :runningawayortryingtoescape afugitiveprisoner fugitive noun KidsDefinitionoffugitive (Entry2of2) :apersonwhoisrunningaway fugitive adjective fu·​gi·​tive |\ˈfyü-jət-iv \ Medical Definitionoffugitive :tendingtobeinconstantortransient fugitiveachesandpains—BertonRoueche fugitive noun fu·​gi·​tive |\ˈfyü-jə-tiv\ Legal Definitionoffugitive :apersonwhoflees especially :apersonwhofleesonejurisdiction(asastate)foranotherinordertoeludelawenforcementpersonnel MorefromMerriam-Websteronfugitive Nglish:TranslationoffugitiveforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationoffugitiveforArabicSpeakers Britannica.com:Encyclopediaarticleaboutfugitive WORDOFTHEDAY piggyback SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary NameThatFood Namethesecookies! macaroons macarons Testyourvocabularywithour10-questionquiz! 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