rogue

noun

\ ˈrōg

Definition of rogue

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : vagrant, tramp

2 : a dishonest or worthless person : scoundrel

3 : a mischievous person : scamp

4 : a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave

5 : an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation

rogue

verb

rogued; roguing or rogueing

Definition of rogue (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

: to weed out inferior, diseased, or nontypical individuals from a crop plant or a field

rogue

adjective

Definition of rogue (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : resembling or suggesting a rogue elephant especially in being isolated, aberrant, dangerous, or uncontrollable capsized by a rogue wave

2 : corrupt, dishonest rogue cops

3 : of or being a nation whose leaders defy international law or norms of international behavior rogue states

Rogue

geographical name

\ ˈrōg

Definition of Rogue (Entry 4 of 4)

river about 200 miles (320 kilometers) long in southwestern Oregon rising in Crater Lake National Park and flowing west and southwest into the Pacific Ocean

Other Words from rogue Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about rogue

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Examples of rogue in a Sentence

Noun

Many of the vagabonds were rogues and cheaters of various kinds, and formed a subcommunity on the fringes of official society. — Charles Barber, Early Modern English, 1976 Cartier decided that the two boys were a choice pair of rogues who would probably try to run him aground if taken as pilots, and that he would dispense with their services. — Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1971 His account of their discoveries in the low life of a seaport town would have made a charming book, and in the various characters that came their way the student might easily have found matter for a very complete dictionary of rogues. — W. Somerset Maugham, Moon and Sixpence, 1919 He's a lovable old rogue. a rogue who had nothing but contempt for people who made their living honestly

Adjective

Americans assume that our country was built by rogue males but there's more to the breed than wanderlust and rugged individualism. — Florence King, National Review, 27 Aug. 2007 Perhaps more important, defense planners worried for the past year about the instability of the Soviet Union and the nightmare that a rogue Soviet submarine skipper might decide on his own to launch close to 200 warheads at U.S. targets. — John Barry, Newsweek, 3 June 1991 In "The In-Laws," Alan Arkin is a dentist led astray by a rogue C.I.A. operative … , whose son his daughter is marrying, and he winds up dodging bullets on a Caribbean island. — Terrence Rafferty, New Yorker, 30 July 1990 a rogue administrator who took bribes to falsify paperwork

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This time around, however, the flower’s gone rogue. — Vogue, "Chanel’s New High Jewelry Collection Celebrates the Camellia—Coco’s Signature Fleur," 17 Jan. 2019 Initially the twins answered letters together under the Ann Landers name before Pauline went rogue and pitched her own advice column to The San Francisco Chronicle. — New York Times, "Wisdom Dispensed With Slaps and Puns: A Sprightly History of Advice-Giving," 1 June 2018 Acid reflux Acid reflux happens when acid that should stay put in your stomach goes rogue and flows back into your esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth and stomach, the Mayo Clinic says. — Korin Miller, SELF, "6 Gastrointestinal Issues That Can Affect You During Pregnancy," 14 Dec. 2018 The debilitating memory of a rogue wave that washed her father overboard still haunts her. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "5 new mysteries to read this summer," 17 May 2018 With this many rogue planets peppering our galaxy, astronomers should have an easier time finding candidates to study. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Our Galaxy Could Have 50 Billion Rogue Planets," 11 Mar. 2019 Growing up in Montreal in the 1970s, he was especially taken with science fiction books like Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?—in which sentient robots created by a megacorporation have gone rogue. — Vauhini Vara, Fortune, "Can This Startup Break Big Tech’s Hold on A.I.?," 25 June 2018 In December 2014, as The Sunday Times kept churning out headlines about the rogue unit, Mr. Moyane commissioned KPMG South Africa to investigate. — New York Times, "Corruption Gutted South Africa’s Tax Agency. Now the Nation Is Paying the Price.," 10 June 2018 The rogue painters were attempting to save the spots for New Orleans’s extravagant Krewe of Endymion parade, set for Saturday. — Jennifer Levitz, WSJ, "What’s Crazier Than Mardi Gras? Securing a Spot to Watch the New Orleans Parade," 1 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But a conservative Court of Appeals panel could rogue and decide to disobey Roe and Casey. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "America under Brett Kavanaugh," 11 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

So, being under the sun for hours on end, immersing it in chlorine in the pool, and using hotel shampoos and conditioner (no shade), had me a bit worried that my hair was going to go rogue during my stay at the festival. — Bianca Nieves, Teen Vogue, "The Music Festival First-Timer's Survival Guide," 19 Apr. 2019 Was his anonymous approach to Ms. Watkins, which violated law enforcement standards, part of an authorized operation or the work of a rogue agent? — New York Times, "Border Agent Who Questioned Reporter Is Investigated for Computer Misuse," 12 July 2018 Failure to comply may result in a $250 fine, although city leaders told the Times that the initial phase of the law is more about raising awareness than going table to table and giving tickets to rogue customers. — Washington Post, "National Digest: Seattle bans drinking straws, the first major U.S. to do so," 2 July 2018 Miller hopes that Batista's prompt actions will be a catalyst for national change, as the public demands rogue officers be held accountable and an end to police brutality. — Nathan J. Fish, azcentral, "Pastor Andre Miller to hold Sunday sermon on police brutality after," 9 June 2018 Chicago is currently in the middle of a vicious cold spell caused by rogue Arctic winds. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "It's So Cold in Chicago That the Rail Company Is Lighting Its Tracks on Fire," 30 Jan. 2019 Black would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids and school children could not be thought about evolution. — Fox News, "Reps. Meadows, Jordan call on Rosenstein to testify," 27 Sep. 2018 Prosecutors in counties across the country maintain a database of rogue police officers who have come under scrutiny for dishonesty and other misdeeds. — The Kansas City Star Editorial Board, kansascity, "A database could help track problem police officers. Why don't KC-area prosecutors have one?," 14 June 2018 Aiming for one can lead to a whole group, resulting in a bald spot that's much harder to cover up than a few rogue hairs. — Sarah Ferguson, Marie Claire, "You've Spotted Your First Gray Hair: A Game Plan," 9 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rogue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.