escapade

noun

es·​ca·​pade ˈe-skə-ˌpād How to pronounce escapade (audio)
: a usually adventurous action that runs counter to approved or conventional conduct

Did you know?

When it was first used in English, escapade referred to an act of escaping or fleeing from confinement or restraint. The relationship between escape and escapade does not end there. Both words derive from the Vulgar Latin verb excappare, meaning "to escape," a product of the Latin prefix ex- and the Late Latin noun cappa, meaning "head covering or cloak." While escape took its route through Anglo-French and Middle English, however, escapade made its way into English by way of the Spanish escapar ("to escape") and the French escapade.

Examples of escapade in a Sentence

As a teenager he embarked on a series of ill-advised escapades. their escapades at the prep school became the stuff of boarding-school legend
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jimmy Kimmel isn't fond of the Manning brothers' musical escapades. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 14 May 2025 In recent years, her globe-trotting escapades had taken her to Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, Amsterdam and beyond. Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025 Joining Kardashian in her legal escapades is an all-star cast that includes Naomi Watts (Feud), Niecy Nash-Betts (Grotesquerie), Teyana Taylor (Hit the Floor), Matthew Noszka (Star), Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) and Glenn Close (Damages). Andy Swift, TVLine, 13 May 2025 Jude, the second youngest and the narrator, recounts everything from childhood escapades to recent disappointments, including her sister Fred’s estrangement from the family. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for escapade

Word History

Etymology

French, action of escaping, from Spanish escapada, from escapar to escape, from Vulgar Latin *excappare

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of escapade was in 1667

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Cite this Entry

“Escapade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escapade. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

escapade

noun
es·​ca·​pade ˈes-kə-ˌpād How to pronounce escapade (audio)
: a mischievous adventure

More from Merriam-Webster on escapade

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