A person who has left home without permission, especially a young person. Also describes something that has gotten out of control or is accelerating rapidly.
Compound of 'run' (Old English 'rinnan') and 'away' (Old English 'aweg'). Originally described escaped prisoners or servants in the 14th century, later extending to children leaving home and metaphorically to uncontrolled processes.
The word captures both the physical act of fleeing and the psychological state of something spiraling beyond control - a runaway teenager and runaway inflation share the same essence of escape from normal constraints. Both involve crossing a threshold where return becomes increasingly difficult.
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