A fugitive is someone who is running away or hiding, usually in order to avoid being caught by the police.
The rebel leader was a fugitive from justice.
...the fugitive train robber.
Synonyms: runaway, refugee, deserter, outlaw More Synonyms of fugitive
More Synonyms of fugitive
fugitive in British English
(ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv)
noun
1.
a person who flees
2.
a thing that is elusive or fleeting
adjective
3.
fleeing, esp from arrest or pursuit
4.
not permanent; fleeting; transient
5.
moving or roving about
Derived forms
fugitively (ˈfugitively)
adverb
fugitiveness (ˈfugitiveness)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Latin fugitīvus fleeing away, from fugere to take flight, run away
fugitive in American English
(ˈfjudʒɪtɪv)
adjective
1.
fleeing, apt to flee, or having fled, as from danger, justice, etc.
2.
passing quickly away; fleeting; evanescent
3.
having to do with matters of temporary interest
fugitive essays
4.
roaming; shifting
noun
5.
a person who flees or has fled from danger, justice, etc.
6.
a fleeting or elusive thing
Derived forms
fugitively (ˈfugitively)
adverb
Word origin
ME fugitif < OFr < L fugitivus < pp. of fugere, to flee < IE base *bheug-, to flee > Gr phygē, flight
Examples of 'fugitive' in a sentence
fugitive
ONE of Britain's most wanted tax fugitives has been arrested after five years on the fun.
The Sun (2016)
Then I'll become a fugitive.
The Sun (2016)
Some of the fugitives fled justice after being convicted.
The Sun (2014)
It would be more than two decades before the fugitive would face justice for his terrible actions.
The Sun (2014)
It is said that he went into politics only to avoid becoming a fugitive from justice.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Here are some other cases involving fugitives from justice.
The Sun (2014)
He is now an international fugitive from justice.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The bank was declared a fugitive from justice when three Swiss-based executives failed to appear in court.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But although they are now fugitives from justice, it will still not name them.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The fugitive was arrested as he stepped off a plane in London.
The Sun (2015)
His arrest means 50 fugitives have now been caught since it began.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Along with his crew, he becomes a fugitive from his own country.
The Sun (2012)
He tells us he is on the run,'a fugitive from justice.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The rebel leadership offered a bounty and an amnesty to anyone who killed or captured the fugitive leader, hoping that his bodyguards might betray him.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It has just added 10 new people to its published list of the most wanted alleged tax fugitives in Britain.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
A third of all British fugitives arrested were tracked down in Holland.
The Sun (2010)
A similar operation in 2006 led to the arrest of 13 fugitives.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
A GANG of fugitives are arrested after their getaway car was stopped in its tracks by hundreds of sheep.
The Sun (2016)
In other languages
fugitive
British English: fugitive NOUN
A fugitive is someone who is running away or hiding, usually in order to avoid being caught by the police.
The rebel leader was a fugitive from justice.
American English: fugitive
Brazilian Portuguese: fugitivo
Chinese: > 逃避者通常为避免被警察抓住的
European Spanish: fugitivo
French: fugitif
German: Flüchtling
Italian: fuggitivo
Japanese: 逃亡者
Korean: 도망자
European Portuguese: fugitivo
Latin American Spanish: fugitivo
Chinese translation of 'fugitive'
fugitive
(ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv)
n(c)
逃亡者 (táowángzhě) (个(個), gè)
(noun)
Definition
a person who flees, esp. from arrest or pursuit
He was a fugitive from justice.
Synonyms
runaway
a teenage runaway
refugee
an application for refugee status
deserter
He was a deserter from the army.
outlaw
a band of desperate outlaws
escapee
An escapee from Sydney's Long Bay Jail was recaptured today.
runagate (archaic)
(adjective)
Definition
not permanent
Love is as fugitive and insubstantial as smoke, yet we all pursue it.
Synonyms
momentary
a momentary lapse of concentration
short
We had a short meeting.
passing
people who dismissed mobile phones as a passing fad
brief
This time their visit is brief.
fleeing
temporary
a temporary loss of memory
fleeting
They caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.
unstable
short-lived
Any hope that the speech would end the war was short-lived.
transient
the transient nature of high fashion
flitting
ephemeral
These paintings are a reminder that earthly pleasures are ephemeral.
transitory
Most teenage romances are transitory.
evanescent (formal)
the evanescent effects of light and weather on the landscape
fugacious
flying
I paid a flying visit to the capital.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of brief
Definition
short in duration
This time their visit is brief.
Synonyms
short,
fast,
quick,
temporary,
fleeting,
swift,
short-lived,
little,
hasty,
momentary,
ephemeral,
quickie (informal),
transitory
in the sense of deserter
He was a deserter from the army.
Synonyms
defector,
runaway,
fugitive,
traitor,
renegade,
truant,
escapee,
absconder,
apostate
in the sense of ephemeral
Definition
lasting only for a short time
These paintings are a reminder that earthly pleasures are ephemeral.