Word
fugitive
Phoneticsfugi·tive
US/ˈfjudʒətɪv/
UK/fjˈuːdʒɪtˌɪv/
Definitions
01person fleeing the law
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. someone who is running away or hiding, especially from the police or a legal situation.
n. a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, especially to avoid arrest or persecution.
“The fugitive was finally caught by the police after hiding in the woods for three days.”
“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'.
02running away
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. describes someone who is currently escaping or running away from somewhere.
adj. relating to or characteristic of a person who is fleeing from pursuit or custody.
“The fugitive prisoner was spotted near the train station late last night.”
“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.
Teaching tip
This is less common than the noun form in everyday speech.
03short-lived
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adj. lasting for only a very short time.
adj. transient, fleeting, or ephemeral in nature; passing quickly away.
“He tried to capture the fugitive beauty of the sunset in his painting.”
“The poet reflects on the fugitive nature of youth, noting how quickly the vibrant energy of one's early years dissolves into memory.”
Teaching tip
In this sense, the word is almost exclusively found in poetry or high-level academic prose.
Real-World Examples
“The fugitive, who has not been officially named, was arrested after officers from the Policía Nacional force discovered he was living in the north-eastern Spanish city of Tarragona.” “I said, you can continue to pay Anita [Perrottet’s wife] and look after her.”
Sydney property developer Jean Nassif, who is now a fugitive in Lebanon.” Etymology
From Middle English fugitive, fugityve, fugityf, fugitife, fugytif, fugitif, from Latin fugitīvus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The word in film
The Fugitive · 1993 · Crime
- Directed by:
- Andrew Davis
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Julianne Moore, Tommy Lee Jones
Harrison Ford stars in this 1990s crime thriller as a doctor who must escape from the police after being wrongly accused of a crime. As he searches for the real killer, a determined detective follows his every move to bring him back to justice.
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/fugitive