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: resembling or suggesting a rogue elephant especially in being isolated, aberrant, dangerous, or uncontrollable
rogued; roguing or rogueing
: to weed out inferior, diseased, or nontypical individuals from a crop plant or a field
Phrases
go rogue
: to begin to behave in an independent or uncontrolled way that is not authorized, normal, or expected
Before the Clemson Tigers played Notre Dame in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Clark [a bald eagle] was supposed to fly around the stadium, high above people's heads. But instead, he went rogue and decided to perch on two unsuspecting fans.—
Nicole Gallucci
Nicole Gallucci
Synonyms
Example Sentences
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
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
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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
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
See More
Recent Examples on the WebThe Editors, National Review, 9 Dec. 2022
They were rocked by blast and rogue wave during Antarctic cruise.
—Eric Williams, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2022
No worries, either, if a rogue rain or windstorm catches you by surprise; the Clip 4 is dust- and waterproof.
—Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, 1 Dec. 2022
Because no actor assumes custody, there’s no risk of theft by a rogue manager.
—Vivek Ramaswamy And Mark Lurie, WSJ, 27 Nov. 2022
Bacteria are also vulnerable to rogue DNA strands known as plasmids that coerce the cells into copying them.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 23 Nov. 2022
Impurities that form on the surface of some stocks and soups are rogue proteins which coagulate when heated, says Rosemary Trout, a culinary and food science professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
—Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 20 Nov. 2022
Or maybe there were rogue cells already coursing through my rollish veins that might waylay me down the road?
—Arkansas Online, 17 Nov. 2022
In 2008, this new set of rogue financial actors from General Electric to AIG created novel systematic risks that upended the US economy while leaving average citizens paying the bill.
—Quartz, 11 Nov. 2022
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2022
In a recent conversation with THR, Davis also discusses his family’s roles on the show, before recalling a moment of improv from the 1988 film involving Val Kilmer’s beloved rogue, Madmartigan.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2022
Bugs have begun to multiply as software rot spreads: On Sunday, a tool gone rogue began blocking 4,000 accounts per second.
—WIRED, 2 Dec. 2022
In that calculation, speculative worries about the future—such as the risks of rogue AI—can trump clear and present dangers like cholera or deforestation.
—Cassie Werber, Quartz, 25 Nov. 2022
In this rogue-lite strategy and action game, players can stop time to decide on their subsequent actions.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 23 Nov. 2022
Another success came in 1987 with Marshal Law, set in San Futuro, a city built on the remains of San Francisco after an earthquake, about a government operative whose mission is to take down rogue superheroes.
—George Gene Gustines, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2022
Today, rogue state capabilities are more sophisticated, Russian rhetoric is becoming more belligerent, and China’s nuclear arsenal is growing rapidly.
—John Bolton, WSJ, 13 Nov. 2022
Another success came in 1987 with Marshal Law, set in San Futuro, a city built on the remains of San Francisco after an earthquake, about a government operative whose mission is to take down rogue superheroes.
—George Gene Gustines, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2022
WSJ, 6 Dec. 2022
In ‘Seven Samurai,’ Toshiro Mifune plays that rogue samurai who becomes the heart of the team.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2022
Zero-Trust protects against both account compromises and rogue internal accounts.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 June 2021
Trump is not a pharmaceutical manufacturer that can go rogue and produce a vaccine.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 16 Sep. 2020
But a conservative Court of Appeals panel could rogue and decide to disobey Roe and Casey.
—Dylan Matthews, Vox, 11 July 2018
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Adjective
Now the world’s rogue prison wardens and malignant actors of all stripes have every reason to increase their demands.
—The Editors, National Review, 9 Dec. 2022
They were rocked by blast and rogue wave during Antarctic cruise.
—Eric Williams, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2022
No worries, either, if a rogue rain or windstorm catches you by surprise; the Clip 4 is dust- and waterproof.
—Paige Szmodis, Popular Mechanics, 1 Dec. 2022
Because no actor assumes custody, there’s no risk of theft by a rogue manager.
—Vivek Ramaswamy And Mark Lurie, WSJ, 27 Nov. 2022
Bacteria are also vulnerable to rogue DNA strands known as plasmids that coerce the cells into copying them.
—Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 23 Nov. 2022
Impurities that form on the surface of some stocks and soups are rogue proteins which coagulate when heated, says Rosemary Trout, a culinary and food science professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
—Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 20 Nov. 2022
Or maybe there were rogue cells already coursing through my rollish veins that might waylay me down the road?
—Arkansas Online, 17 Nov. 2022
In 2008, this new set of rogue financial actors from General Electric to AIG created novel systematic risks that upended the US economy while leaving average citizens paying the bill.
—Quartz, 11 Nov. 2022
Noun
Once again, Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) is lured away from Geppetto (David Bradley) and recruited into the circus by a vulpine rogue (Christoph Waltz).
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2022
In a recent conversation with THR, Davis also discusses his family’s roles on the show, before recalling a moment of improv from the 1988 film involving Val Kilmer’s beloved rogue, Madmartigan.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2022
Bugs have begun to multiply as software rot spreads: On Sunday, a tool gone rogue began blocking 4,000 accounts per second.
—WIRED, 2 Dec. 2022
In that calculation, speculative worries about the future—such as the risks of rogue AI—can trump clear and present dangers like cholera or deforestation.
—Cassie Werber, Quartz, 25 Nov. 2022
In this rogue-lite strategy and action game, players can stop time to decide on their subsequent actions.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 23 Nov. 2022
Another success came in 1987 with Marshal Law, set in San Futuro, a city built on the remains of San Francisco after an earthquake, about a government operative whose mission is to take down rogue superheroes.
—George Gene Gustines, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2022
Today, rogue state capabilities are more sophisticated, Russian rhetoric is becoming more belligerent, and China’s nuclear arsenal is growing rapidly.
—John Bolton, WSJ, 13 Nov. 2022
Another success came in 1987 with Marshal Law, set in San Futuro, a city built on the remains of San Francisco after an earthquake, about a government operative whose mission is to take down rogue superheroes.
—George Gene Gustines, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2022
Verb
This trust has been betrayed time and time again, from tame regulators to rogue central bankers to corrupt politicians.
—WSJ, 6 Dec. 2022
In ‘Seven Samurai,’ Toshiro Mifune plays that rogue samurai who becomes the heart of the team.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2022
Zero-Trust protects against both account compromises and rogue internal accounts.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 June 2021
Trump is not a pharmaceutical manufacturer that can go rogue and produce a vaccine.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 16 Sep. 2020
But a conservative Court of Appeals panel could rogue and decide to disobey Roe and Casey.
—Dylan Matthews, Vox, 11 July 2018
See More
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.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
derivative of rogue entry 2
Noun
of obscure origin
Verb
derivative of rogue entry 2
Phrases Containing rogue
Dictionary Entries Near rogue
Cite this Entry
“Rogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rogue. Accessed 19 Dec. 2022.
Geographical Definition
Rogue
geographical name
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
More from Merriam-Webster on rogue
Nglish: Translation of rogue for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rogue for Arabic Speakers
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