: missing in action
He was a U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam, where he was reported MIA for a period of time.—
The Pilot (Southern Pines, North Carolina)
—often used figuratively for someone or something notably or unexpectedly missing, absent, or inactiveThe Pilot (Southern Pines, North Carolina)Anna Kournikova has been MIA since last month as the result of a stress fracture in her left foot.—Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated… considered everything that could go wrong on her wedding day—lousy weather, droopy centerpieces, an MIA photographer …—Jason Lynch
Jason LynchJohn Hurt … had critics and audiences marking him as a major new filmmaker. Then he went MIA [=he disappeared; he was not heard from] for five years …—Stephen Rebello
Stephen Rebello
plural MIAs also MIA's
: a member of the armed forces reported to be missing in action
Today, despite advances in casualty accounting, unanswered questions still torment many families of MIAs.—David Sears
David SearsA voice from somewhere in the mess hall: "A toast to the POWs and MIAs!"—Jayne Hendel
Jayne Hendel… a metal dog tag imprinted with the names of four Israeli MIA's …—Yossi Klein Halevi
Yossi Klein HaleviCite this Entry
“MIA.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/MIA. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share