ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fugitive

n. · adj.
US //ˈfjudʒətɪv// UK //fjˈuːdʒɪtˌɪv// fugi·tive
  1. 1 person fleeing the law (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    someone who is running away or hiding, especially from the police or a legal situation.

    a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, especially to avoid arrest or persecution.

    Example

    The fugitive was finally caught by the police after hiding in the woods for three days.

    Example

    Federal agents tracked the fugitive across three state lines before apprehending him at a remote farmhouse near the border.

    Usage

    often used with the preposition 'from'.
  2. 2 running away (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    describes someone who is currently escaping or running away from somewhere.

    relating to or characteristic of a person who is fleeing from pursuit or custody.

    Example

    The fugitive prisoner was spotted near the train station late last night.

    Example

    The authorities issued a warning regarding a fugitive convict who had escaped from the high-security facility during a power outage.

    Usage

    usually placed before a noun.

    Teacher's tip

    This is less common than the noun form in everyday speech.
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  1. 3 short-lived (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    lasting for only a very short time.

    transient, fleeting, or ephemeral in nature; passing quickly away.

    Example

    He tried to capture the fugitive beauty of the sunset in his painting.

    Example

    The poet reflects on the fugitive nature of youth, noting how quickly the vibrant energy of one's early years dissolves into memory.

    Teacher's tip

    In this sense, the word is almost exclusively found in poetry or high-level academic prose.
Origin

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

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