Word
abscond
Phoneticsab·scond, stress on the second syllable
US/æbˈskɑnd/
UK/ɐbskˈɒnd/
Definition
v. to run away with something valuable, like money or property, and hide it. It is a formal word often used in legal stories.
v. to run away with property or money and conceal it. Often used in legal contexts to describe the theft of assets or the flight of a person with stolen goods.
Examples
“The thief tried to abscond with the stolen jewels.”
“The bank manager was arrested for attempting to abscond with several million dollars in cash.”
“The legal team argued that the defendant had no intention to abscond with the assets, merely seeking to protect them from an impending bankruptcy.”
Examples
simple
“The thief tried to abscond with the stolen jewels.”
contextual
“The bank manager was arrested for attempting to abscond with several million dollars in cash.”
complex
“The legal team argued that the defendant had no intention to abscond with the assets, merely seeking to protect them from an impending bankruptcy.”
Etymology
Either borrowed from Middle French abscondre or directly from Latin abscondō (“hide”); formed from abs, ab (“away”) + condō (“put together, store”), from con- (“together”) + *dʰeh₁- (“to put, place, set”). * Cognate with sconce (“a type of light fixture”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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