fugitive
UK: /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv/ | US: /ˈfjuːdʒɪtɪv/
n. a person who flees or escapes from danger, justice, or restraint
adj. fleeting or transient; not permanent
fugitive = fug<flee> + itive<adjective suffix>
- fug (from Latin fugere, meaning "to flee")
- itive (Latin-derived suffix forming adjectives, often indicating tendency or relation)
Etymology Origin:
The word "fugitive" traces back to Latin fugitivus, derived from fugere ("to flee"). The root fug- appears in other English words like "refuge" (a place of fleeing to safety) and "fugue" (a musical form with a "fleeing" theme). The suffix -itive transforms the action of fleeing into a descriptive term, originally denoting someone who flees and later extending to describe anything transient.
The police are searching for the fugitive who escaped from prison.
The fugitive sunlight disappeared behind the clouds.
He lived as a fugitive for years, avoiding capture.
Her thoughts were fugitive, slipping away before she could grasp them.
The documentary explored the lives of fugitives during wartime.