MIA
adjective
: 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 RebelloCite this Entry
“MIA.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/MIA. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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