fugitive

1 of 2

adjective

fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jə-tiv How to pronounce fugitive (audio)
1
: running away or intending flight
a fugitive slave
a fugitive debtor
2
: moving from place to place : wandering
the fugitive clouds of the skyK. K. Darrow
3
a
: being of short duration
the journalist … is concerned only with the fugitive momentA. L. Guerard
b
: difficult to grasp or retain : elusive
thought is clear or muddy, graspable or fugitiveJ. M. Barzun
c
: likely to evaporate, deteriorate, change, fade, or disappear
dyed with fugitive colors
4
: being of transient (see transient entry 1 sense 1) interest
fugitive essays
fugitively adverb
fugitiveness noun

fugitive

2 of 2

noun

1
: a person who flees or tries to escape: such as
a
: a person who flees a country or location to escape danger (such as war) or persecution : refugee
b
: a person (such as a suspect, witness, or defendant) involved in a criminal case who tries to elude law enforcement especially by fleeing the jurisdiction

called also fugitive from justice

2
: something elusive or hard to find

Did you know?

Fugitive was adopted into English as both a noun and an adjective in the 14th century from the Latin adjective fugitivus, which itself comes from the verb fugere, meaning “to flee.”

Choose the Right Synonym for fugitive

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time.

transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

transitory applies to what is by its nature or essence bound to change, pass, or come to an end.

fame in the movies is transitory

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

momentary suggests coming and going quickly and therefore being merely a brief interruption of a more enduring state.

my feelings of guilt were only momentary

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face
fleeting moments of joy

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

Examples of fugitive in a Sentence

Adjective As he daydreamed, fugitive thoughts passed through his mind. that fugitive trait called artistic creativity Noun They discovered that he was a fugitive of the law.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Last year, for example, more than a decade after fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden accused the National Security Agency of hacking into the servers of the Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, Beijing officially acknowledged the breach. Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024 The federal fugitive task force, a law enforcement body focused on capturing wanted violent criminals, will continue to provide resources to local and state agencies in the search for Couch. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 17 Sep. 2024
Noun
Luigi Belvedere had been on the run since December 2020 and was on the Italian interior ministry’s list of dangerous fugitives, a statement said, adding he was apprehended in the city of Medellin. Reuters, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024 Tom Hardy is back for the third Venom movie, The Last Dance — the final film in the trilogy — which finds fugitives Eddie and Venom on an adventure across the country. Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fugitive 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French fugitif, from Latin fugitivus, from fugitus, past participle of fugere to flee; akin to Greek pheugein to flee

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fugitive was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near fugitive

Cite this Entry

“Fugitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fugitive. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fugitive

1 of 2 adjective
fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jət-ˌiv How to pronounce fugitive (audio)
1
: running away or trying to run away
a fugitive suspect
2
: lasting a very short time : not fixed or lasting
fugitive thoughts
fugitively adverb

fugitive

2 of 2 noun
1
: a person who runs away or tries to escape
especially : refugee
2
: something that is hard to find
Etymology

Noun

Middle English fugitif, fugitive "one who is running away," from early French fugitif and Latin fugitivus (both, same meaning), from Latin fugitus, past participle of fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, refugee

Medical Definition

fugitive

adjective
fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jət-iv How to pronounce fugitive (audio)
: tending to be inconstant or transient
fugitive aches and painsBerton Roueche

Legal Definition

fugitive

noun
fu·​gi·​tive
ˈfyü-jə-tiv
: a person who flees
especially : a person who flees one jurisdiction (as a state) for another in order to elude law enforcement personnel

More from Merriam-Webster on fugitive

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