truant
UK: ˈtruːənt | US: ˈtruːənt
n. a student who stays away from school without permission
adj. absent or missing without explanation
vi. to play truant (skip school or duty)
truant = tru<wander> + ant<noun suffix>
- tru<wander>: From Old French truant (vagabond, beggar), derived from Gaulish trugant (wretch, vagabond). Originally implied aimless wandering.
- ant<noun suffix>: A suffix forming agent nouns (e.g., "servant"), here marking a person who wanders or avoids responsibility.
Etymology Origin:
The word entered English via Old French, reflecting medieval societal disdain for vagrancy. Its Gaulish root trugant conveyed pity or scorn for those who roamed without purpose. By the 14th century, "truant" narrowed to describe students skipping school, mirroring the moral judgment against idleness. The verb form emerged later, reinforcing the link between wandering and shirking duty.
The teacher called the parents of the chronic truant.
Truant officers patrol neighborhoods to deter absenteeism.
He spent his youth truanting and loitering in parks.
The law fines parents of habitual truants.
Her truant behavior led to academic probation.