fugitive

1 of 2

adjective

fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jə-tiv 

1

: running away or intending flight

a fugitive slave

a fugitive debtor

2

: moving from place to place : wandering

the fugitive clouds of the sky

—K. K. Darrow

3

a

: being of short duration

the journalist … is concerned only with the fugitive moment

—A. L. Guerard

b

: difficult to grasp or retain : elusive

thought is clear or muddy, graspable or fugitive

—J. 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 entered English as both a noun and an adjective in the 14th century, coming ultimately from the Latin verb fugere, meaning “to flee.” As a noun, it originally referred, as it still does today, to someone who flees a country or location to escape persecution or danger, as from war, making it synonymous with another fugere descendent, refugee. The noun soon expanded beyond those fleeing peril to individuals (such as suspects, witnesses, or defendants) trying to elude law enforcement especially by fleeing the pertinent jurisdiction. The adjective fugitive describes those literally running away or intending flight, but also has multiple figurative uses, being applied to that which is elusive, of short duration, or of transient interest, among other things.

Synonyms

Adjective

• elusive

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

Adjective

Where the show’s values were once givens, almost diorama labels, now they’re presented as more fugitive and unstable, what its characters would hope the world to be. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden’s office said last week that Boatwright spent months in jail on a fugitive warrant. —Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2025

Noun

Barrow fired a machine gun at the prison to distract from the running fugitives. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025

Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo return as the duo, now fugitives framed for a global cyberattack. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing fugitive

• fugitive from justice

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Kids Definition

fugitive

1 of 2 adjective

fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jət-ˌiv 

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 

: tending to be inconstant or transient

fugitive aches and pains

—Berton 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