deserter

noun

de·​sert·​er di-ˈzər-tər 

plural deserters

: a person who deserts

… the deserter of his father in his last days, betrayer of his brother in his captivity …

—Amy Kelly

especially : a member of a military force who abandons service without leave

a wartime deserter

But now that Anderson has been AWOL for more than 30 days, he is known in the U.S. military as a deserter, facing the possibility of years in jail.

—Daniel Eisenberg

At a prison camp for German army deserters, Herold ordered the execution of more than 100 soldiers.

—Michael Phillips

Synonyms

• apostate
• defector
• recreant
• renegade

Word History

First Known Use

1631, in the meaning defined above