A fugitive is a person who is running away or hiding, especially from the police or legal authorities. They are often trying to avoid arrest or punishment.
“Fugitive” comes from Latin “fugitivus,” meaning “one who flees,” from “fugere,” meaning “to flee or run away.” It entered English through Old French forms with the same sense of escape.
The word can also describe something very short-lived, like a “fugitive moment” that quickly disappears. So in English, not only people but even feelings can be on the run.
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