Fugitive

/ˈfjuːd͡ʒɪtɪv/ adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A person who flees or escapes and travels secretly from place to place, and sometimes using disguises and aliases to conceal their identity, as to avoid law authorities in order to avoid an arrest or prosecution, or to avoid some other unwanted situation.
  • Grammar: fugitive is listed as adj, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: runaway, absconder, absconder, at large.
  • Useful contrasts: arrester, captured, chaser.
  • Usage evidence: I was on the alert for a fugitive criminal.

How to use "fugitive"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fugitive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fugitive" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fugitive" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fugitive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "fugitive" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "runaway" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "fugitive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A person who flees or escapes and travels secretly from place to place, and sometimes using disguises and aliases to conceal their identity, as to avoid law authorities in order to avoid an arrest or prosecution, or to avoid some other unwanted situation.

    "“I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera,[…]the speed-mad fugitives from the furies of ennui, the neurotic victims of mental cirrhosis, the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!”"

  2. 2
    someone who is sought by law officers; someone trying to elude justice wordnet
  3. 3
    someone who flees from an uncongenial situation wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To render someone a fugitive; to drive into escape or exile. transitive

    "Her son Thomas was fugitived in the persecution."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Fleeing or running away; escaping.

    "I found afterwards that he was the chauffeur, who filled the gaps left by a succession of fugitive butlers."

  2. 2
    Transient, fleeting or ephemeral.
  3. 3
    Elusive or difficult to retain.
Adjective
  1. 1
    lasting for a markedly brief time wordnet

Example

"I was on the alert for a fugitive criminal."

Common questions

What does "fugitive" mean?

A person who flees or escapes and travels secretly from place to place, and sometimes using disguises and aliases to conceal their identity, as to avoid law authorities in order to avoid an arrest or prosecution, or to avoid some other unwanted situation.

What is a synonym for "fugitive"?

Common synonyms include: runaway, absconder, absconder, at large, betrayer, bolter.

How do you use "fugitive" in a sentence?

I was on the alert for a fugitive criminal.

How do you pronounce "fugitive"?

Pronounced /ˈfjuːd͡ʒɪtɪv/.

Etymology

From Middle English fugitive, fugityve, fugityf, fugitife, fugytif, fugitif, from Latin fugitīvus.

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