: one who shirks duty
especially
: one who stays out of school without permission
1
: shirking responsibility
2
: being, resembling, or characteristic of a truant
truanted; truanting; truants
: to idle away time especially while playing truant
Examples of truant in a Sentence
Noun
an increasing number of truants
Recent Examples on the Web
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 29 Oct. 2024
So, if Trump tries to cancel the debate or just doesn’t show up, the Biden team could prepare one of his sparring partners to be onstage, unofficially representing the truant.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
The child would be considered truant if the homeschool administrator does not submit the form, which in addition to information about the student would require an assurance that the person administering the homeschooling has earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Byron Pitts, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
In Los Angeles, school superintendent Alberto Carvalho has gone door to door; in Alabama, signs stressing the importance of attendance are displayed on front lawns; in Philadelphia, local programs have been established that send out text messages to potentially truant youths' parents.
—Lauren Lantry, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for truant
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Noun
The trend of workplace truants has been an ongoing problem for the French economy.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 29 Oct. 2024
So, if Trump tries to cancel the debate or just doesn’t show up, the Biden team could prepare one of his sparring partners to be onstage, unofficially representing the truant.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
Adjective
If the form's not submitted, the student would be considered truant.
—Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
The child would be considered truant if the homeschool administrator does not submit the form, which in addition to information about the student would require an assurance that the person administering the homeschooling has earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
The program helps truant students get back on track.
—Byron Pitts, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
In Los Angeles, school superintendent Alberto Carvalho has gone door to door; in Alabama, signs stressing the importance of attendance are displayed on front lawns; in Philadelphia, local programs have been established that send out text messages to potentially truant youths' parents.
—Lauren Lantry, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for truant
Cite this Entry
“Truant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truant. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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