fugitive

1 of 2

adjective

fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jə-tiv 

1

: running away or intending flight

a fugitive slave

a fugitive debtor

2

: moving from place to place : wandering

the fugitive clouds of the sky

—K. K. Darrow

3

a

: being of short duration

the journalist … is concerned only with the fugitive moment

—A. L. Guerard

b

: difficult to grasp or retain : elusive

thought is clear or muddy, graspable or fugitive

—J. M. Barzun

c

: likely to evaporate, deteriorate, change, fade, or disappear

dyed with fugitive colors

4

: being of transient (see transient entry 1 sense 1) interest

fugitive essays

fugitively adverb

fugitiveness noun

fugitive

2 of 2

noun

1

: a person who flees or tries to escape: such as

a

: a person who flees a country or location to escape danger (such as war) or persecution : refugee

b

: a person (such as a suspect, witness, or defendant) involved in a criminal case who tries to elude law enforcement especially by fleeing the jurisdiction

called also fugitive from justice

2

: something elusive or hard to find

Did you know?

Fugitive was adopted into English as both a noun and an adjective in the 14th century from the Latin adjective fugitivus, which itself comes from the verb fugere, meaning “to flee.”

Synonyms

Adjective

• elusive
• evasive
• slippery

Choose the Right Synonym for fugitive

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time.

transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

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

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

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

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face

fleeting moments of joy

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

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

Examples of fugitive in a Sentence

Adjective

As he daydreamed, fugitive thoughts passed through his mind.

that fugitive trait called artistic creativity

Noun

They discovered that he was a fugitive of the law.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

How a fugitive killer named ‘Smiley’ vanished from L.A. — only to return and strike again. —Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

Motorists stop and wave as police cars pursue a white Ford Bronco, driven by Al Cowlings, carrying fugitive murder suspect O.J. Simpson, on a 90-minute slow-speed car chase June 17, 1994 on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. —CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024

Sullivan added that Reyes was the focus of a fugitive investigation, and Phoenix police had been actively looking for him. —The Arizona Republic, 5 Jan. 2024

Florida police officers deliver grocery order following arrest of fugitive delivery driver Police officers in Titusville, Florida, fulfill a grocery order after arrested the delivery driver. —Pilar Arias, Fox News, 1 Apr. 2024

Grandmother is fugitive Four other defendants charged in the original indictment remain fugitives from justice, according to the FBI and Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024

The pair then receive a beyond-the-grave message from Howard instructing them to clear his name, which, of course, sets off a series of explosive adventures as the fugitive cops run for their lives while looking for evidence to exonerate their boss. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024

Bail fugitive recovery agents track down people on bail who have become fugitives. —Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024

There are high rates of asthma and poor lung function from fugitive dust in this community and across the city. —Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024

Noun

Amick is also a fugitive from Pennsylvania on an unrelated case of a similar nature. —Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2024

Shortly after noon, according to Shapiro, the lawyer receives a call from LAPD officials telling him that police must announce that Simpson is a fugitive. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Sacramento County sheriff’s detectives on Thursday arrested a mother who had been a wanted fugitive for more than a year after failing to appear in court to face trial on a child endangerment charge in the 2019 death of her 13-month-old daughter. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024

The fugitive accused of killing a Charlotte mom and her two children was camping in a notorious off-the-grid desert community when captured near the Mexico border, according to an incident report. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2024

South Korean crypto fugitive Do Kwon was released from prison in Montenegro early Saturday as the Supreme Court deliberates on extradition requests from US and South Korea. —Jasmina Kuzmanovic, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024

The fugitives had sought refuge on the 500-acre farm of Richard Garrett, who took them in under the assumption that they were wounded Confederate soldiers, not the already-infamous fugitives responsible for Lincoln’s death. —Vanessa Armstrong, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024

According to the Sebastian County Detention Center's website, Thompson has been charged with fleeing, resisting arrest, theft, being an out-of-state fugitive and disarming a police officer. —Monica Brich, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2024

Holm said a team of amateur sleuths helped authorities trace the fugitive to a mailing address in Barcelona. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French fugitif, from Latin fugitivus, from fugitus, past participle of fugere to flee; akin to Greek pheugein to flee

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fugitive

• fugitive from justice

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Kids Definition

fugitive

1 of 2 adjective

fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jət-ˌiv 

1

: running away or trying to run away

a fugitive slave

2

: lasting a very short time : not fixed or lasting

fugitive thoughts

fugitively adverb

fugitive

2 of 2 noun

1

: a person who runs away or tries to escape

especially : refugee

2

: something that is hard to find

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fugitif, fugitive "one who is running away," from early French fugitif and Latin fugitivus (both, same meaning), from Latin fugitus, past participle of fugere "to run away, flee" — related to centrifugal, refugee

Medical Definition

fugitive

adjective

fu·​gi·​tive ˈfyü-jət-iv 

: tending to be inconstant or transient

fugitive aches and pains

—Berton Roueche

Legal Definition

fugitive

noun

fu·​gi·​tive

ˈfyü-jə-tiv

: a person who flees

especially : a person who flees one jurisdiction (as a state) for another in order to elude law enforcement personnel