a person who is fleeing, as from prosecution, intolerable circumstances, etc.; a runaway: a fugitive from justice;a fugitive from a dictatorial regime.
adjective
having taken flight, or run away: The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise of 1850 that led the United States even closer to civil war.
fleeting; transitory; elusive: fugitive thoughts that could not be formulated.
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.
dealing with subjects of passing interest, as writings; ephemeral: fugitive essays.
wandering, roving, or vagabond: a fugitive carnival.
Origin of fugitive
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin fugitīvus “fleeing,” equivalent to fugit(us) (past participle of fugere “to flee”) + -īvus adjective suffix (see -ive); replacing Middle English fugitif, from Old French
After falsely identifying King as the fugitive they were looking for, the officers arrested him before allegedly beating and choking him to the point of unconsciousness.
7 big cases the Supreme Court will hear in its new term, explained|Ian Millhiser|October 1, 2020|Vox
Detectives with a fugitive task force caught up with Polanco and a friend on a Bronx street in the early afternoon.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And Daniel Webster, a great opponent of slavery, supported the vile Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act and all.
Election Day Is Scarier Than Halloween|P. J. O’Rourke|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He had made arrangements to surrender but failed to show and was picked up as a fugitive in Pennsylvania.
Manhunt for a Cop-Hating Pennsylvania ‘Survivalist’|Michael Daly|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1964 you were given a guest star spot on the series The Fugitive.
The Unsinkable Lee Grant Sets the Record Straight|William O’Connor|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He spends the rest of the movie struggling to clear his name and channeling Harrison Ford from The Fugitive.
‘Persecuted’ Is the Christian Right’s Paranoid Wet Dream|Candida Moss|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dick dashed after the fugitive, but he had disappeared utterly, and the dense bushes impeded the pursuer.
The Rock of Chickamauga|Joseph A. Altsheler
These were small troubles, however, not to be heeded by a fugitive flying from such a cruel fate as Ohrante had in mind for him.
The Secret Cache|E. C. [Ethel Claire] Brill
In these clear, warm nights I used to think of David, a fugitive and pursued by his enemies.
With the Turks in Palestine|Alexander Aaronsohn
There was the strained look of a fugitive in John's face, a fugitive flying from some threatened fate.
The Hillman|E. Phillips Oppenheim
A Roman lady, even though a fugitive, should not be travelling about the country under the protection of a lad.
Beric the Briton|G. A. Henty
British Dictionary definitions for fugitive
fugitive
/ (ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv) /
noun
a person who flees
a thing that is elusive or fleeting
adjective
fleeing, esp from arrest or pursuit
not permanent; fleeting; transient
moving or roving about
Derived forms of fugitive
fugitively, adverbfugitiveness, noun
Word Origin for fugitive
C14: from Latin fugitīvus fleeing away, from fugere to take flight, run away