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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fugitive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of fugitive are ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, momentary, transient, and transitory. While all these words mean "lasting or staying only a short time," fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face
fleeting moments of joy

When is ephemeral a more appropriate choice than fugitive?

The meanings of ephemeral and fugitive largely overlap; however, ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

When is it sensible to use evanescent instead of fugitive?

In some situations, the words evanescent and fugitive are roughly equivalent. However, evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

When can momentary be used instead of fugitive?

While in some cases nearly identical to fugitive, 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

Where would transient be a reasonable alternative to fugitive?

The words transient and fugitive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

In what contexts can transitory take the place of fugitive?

The words transitory and fugitive can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fugitive
Adjective
Pratt remained an international fugitive for years as each of his co-conspirators eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced. Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025 Pratt remained an international fugitive for years as each of his co-conspirators eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
The plot is as well, though sources have described the project as a fugitive thriller set during Halloween. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025 Farmland in the Waikato region of New Zealand where the then fugitive father Tom Phillips and his missing children were spotted on October 3, 2024, in Marokopa. Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fugitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fugitive
Adjective
  • So far, a federal budget deal has been elusive, and the government is barreling toward a likely shutdown.
    Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Researchers discovered a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan 140 years ago, ending decades of searches for the elusive ghost ship.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • What To Know A map shared by the NWS on Facebook showed a broad corridor of flash-flood risk spanning the Western states and Southern Plains.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The emerging miners, exposed directly to the flash during its first split second, were covered in flash-absorbing black.
    Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • On the Kazakh steppe, centuries of nomadic tradition shaped a culture rooted in hospitality and community.
    Nina Subkhanberdina, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
  • My Life on the Road and wanted to ask about her experience growing up with a nomadic family that rarely put her in in-person school.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This lovable little alien from the blockbuster Disney movie can put on quite a show for your little one.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Labrador-Sierra pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an alien, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and using false documents.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But the building feels temporary, with United having previously discussed removing it.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The goal is to get a congress of 15, with at least eight members coming from Cincinnati's homeless shelters and seven representing people who live outdoors or in temporary housing.
    Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • New this season are nomad-style cooking workshops, starlit movies for younger campers, and sunrise hawk walks.
    Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But Republicans have argued that the Biden administration abused the immigration parole system, as well as granted asylum and refugee status to immigrants who should not have received it.
    Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Their presence puts migrant and refugee families at greater risk and spreads fear throughout our communities.
    Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The recent brightening could be a transient outburst rather than a steady increase as the comet approaches to the sun, only time will tell.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • These voltage changes are known as transient faults and are the difference in measured voltage between consecutive readings.
    Chiara Eisner, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fugitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fugitive. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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