Fugitive (noun, adjective)
fu·gi·tive [fyoo-ji-tiv]
noun
1. a person who is fleeing, from prosecution, intolerable circumstances, etc.; a runaway: a fugitive from justice; a fugitive from a dictatorial regime.
adjective
2. having taken flight, or run away: a fugitive slave.
3. fleeting; transitory; elusive: fugitive thoughts that could not be formulated.
4. Fine Arts. changing color as a result of exposure to light and chemical substances present in the atmosphere, in other pigments, or in the medium.
5. dealing with subjects of passing interest, as writings; ephemeral: fugitive essays.
6. wandering, roving, or vagabond: a fugitive carnival.
Related forms
fu·gi·tive·ly , adverb
fu·gi·tive·ness , fu·gi·tiv·i·ty , noun
non·fu·gi·tive , adjective, noun
non·fu·gi·tive·ly , adverb
non·fu·gi·tive·ness , noun
un·fu·gi·tive , adjective
un·fu·gi·tive·ly , adverb
Related Words for fugitive
wanted, elusive, deserter, refugee, outcast, escapee, exile, recluse, outlaw, short, temporary, flying, ephemeral, brief, volatile, passing, criminal, wandering, stray, fly-by-night
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
3. transient, passing, flitting, flying, brief, temporary.
5. momentary, evanescent, trivial, light.
6. straying, roaming.
Antonyms
3, 4. permanent.
5. lasting.
Origin: 1350–1400; < Latin fugitivus fleeing, equivalent to fugit ( us ) (past participle of fugere to flee) + -ivus -ive; replacing Middle English fugitif < Old French
Examples from the Web for fugitive
Contemporary Examples of fugitive
Detectives with a fugitive task force caught up with Polanco and a friend on a Bronx street in the early afternoon.
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Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown
Michael Daly
January 7, 2015
And Daniel Webster, a great opponent of slavery, supported the vile Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act and all.
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Election Day Is Scarier Than Halloween
P. J. O’Rourke
November 1, 2014
He had made arrangements to surrender but failed to show and was picked up as a fugitive in Pennsylvania.
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Manhunt for a Cop-Hating Pennsylvania ‘Survivalist’
Michael Daly
September 17, 2014
In 1964 you were given a guest star spot on the series The Fugitive .
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The Unsinkable Lee Grant Sets the Record Straight
William O’Connor
July 23, 2014
He spends the rest of the movie struggling to clear his name and channeling Harrison Ford from The Fugitive .
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‘Persecuted’ Is the Christian Right’s Paranoid Wet Dream
Candida Moss
July 22, 2014
Historical Examples of fugitive
His reason for not pursuing the fugitive may be readily understood.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Bill had horses which could outrun the fugitive , and why did he not use them?
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
His name was instantly passed on by the fugitive to his fellows as a "safe" man.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
At the house they parted and headed the fugitive toward the stables.
Chip, of the Flying U
B. M. Bower
The hot pursuit of the fugitive plunderers had ruined the day.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II
Charlotte Mary Yonge
