fugitive
adjective
fu·gi·tive
| \ ˈfyü-jə-tiv
\
\
Definition of fugitive
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
3a
: 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
fugitive
nounDefinition of fugitive (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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Examples of fugitive in a Sentence
Adjective
As he daydreamed, fugitive thoughts passed through his mind. that fugitive trait called artistic creativityNoun
They discovered that the slave was a fugitive.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Power was later arrested in Seabrook, N.H.and charged as a fugitive from justice, prosecutors said. — Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, "Malden man convicted of fatally strangling former girlfriend with dog leash," 29 Aug. 2019 He is charged with first-degree auto theft and as a fugitive from justice. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Porsche Cayenne stolen from Gardendale found in Mississippi; Mobile man jailed on theft charge," 27 Aug. 2019 William Yewell Cashell, 44, was arrested Saturday in Shawnee, Kansas, after he was identified as a fugitive. — Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, "Walnut Creek man, wanted on child porn charge, arrested in Kansas," 25 July 2019 The verdict marks the climax of a bizarre crime saga involving a grisly mutilation, a law enforcement effort to trick a fugitive out of hiding and a brazen escape from the Santa Ana jail. — Julia Wickstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: Essential California Week in Review: California sues Trump over ‘public charge’ rule," 17 Aug. 2019 Blue Alerts are used to alert the public when a fugitive is suspected of killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer. — Ashley Remkus | Aremkus@al.com, al, "Tennessee escapee Curtis Watson sought as person of interest in prison official’s killing," 8 Aug. 2019 This week’s wanted suspect: Hon Vanthai Nguyen, 31 Hon Vanthai Nguyen (31) is a local fugitive with a pair of no bail warrants for possessing a weapon. — Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego’s Wanted: Unlawfully possessing a weapon," 25 July 2019 The squirrel is owned by Mickey Paulk of Limestone County, who remains a fugitive after agents seized drugs from his Athena area home. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al.com, "Alabama on Live PD: Attack squirrel, suspected wedding thief both featured on show," 23 June 2019 The nuns have affairs in the haystacks, attend witchy rituals in the woods, curse out the gardener, harbor a fugitive — and that's just the start. — Elena Nicolaou, refinery29.com, "Dive Into The Best Summer Movies On Netflix," 20 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Hong Kong, a semiautonomous territory of China, has been wracked by almost three months of antigovernment protests sparked by a proposal to allow the extradition of fugitives to the mainland. — Time Staff, Time, "Canadian Consulate Suspends Travel for Hong Kong Staff," 23 Aug. 2019 Six other defendants are believed to be fugitives in the United States and the others are abroad, mostly in Nigeria. — BostonGlobe.com, "Cybersecurity firm bought by EMC-Dell affiliate," 23 Aug. 2019 Since the pattern of Saudi fugitives escaping justice in the U.S. first emerged, Wyden has been one of the only lawmakers in Washington to raise concerns or demand action. — oregonlive.com, "Saudi students escaping US justice: Oregon’s Ron Wyden slams Trump administration on Senate floor," 25 June 2019 One of the fugitives is pending extradition to Brazil, and another to Argentina. — Tatiana Arias And Eliza Mackintosh, CNN, "Italian mafia boss escapes from Uruguayan prison," 24 June 2019 In response to the findings, Merkley proposed legislation to require the federal government to investigate such disappearances and to impose sanctions against any Saudi diplomat or official found to have assisted Saudi fugitives escape prosecution. — oregonlive.com, "Sen. Jeff Merkley gets closer to investigating Saudi students escaping U.S. justice, vows to continue effort," 26 July 2019 Initially, Lam’s administration advertised the bill as a way to prevent the city from becoming a haven for criminal fugitives. — Time Staff, Time, "'The Bill Is Dead.' Hong Kong's Leader Vows to Kill a Controversial Extradition Plan After Weeks of Protest," 9 July 2019 The fugitives stole another car and about 40 hours after nearly murdering Lancaster the two were pulled over by Turner. — al.com, "The tragic reason this Alabama city celebrates July 4th a week late," 4 July 2019 Four executives have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to serve prison terms, while others remain international fugitives, the Justice Department said. — Costas Paris, WSJ, "Justice Department Indicts Norway Ship Executives on Antitrust Charges," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fugitive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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