deserter

[ dih-zur-ter ]

noun

1. a soldier or draftee who leaves or runs away from service or duty with the intention of never returning:

   Deserters from the rebel army tell of low morale among its remaining fighters.

2. a person who fails to uphold a cause or who abandons someone else, especially in violation of a promise or obligation:

   Some of those remaining in the home country view emigrants living abroad as deserters from their mother culture.

   A family deserter is one who can but will not support a spouse or dependents.

Other Words From

• pre·de·sert·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deserter¹

desert ²( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

After six weeks, he ran out of money and moved in with another Russian deserter, Yevgeny.

From Seattle Times

“I did the right thing,” said another deserter who goes by the nickname Sparrow, who is living in hiding in Kazakhstan while he waits for his asylum applications to be processed.

From Seattle Times

“Traitor, deserter, drug trafficker,” Maduro crowed following his arrest.

From Seattle Times

And here are critical scenes from the original series that were not included this time around: the team’s encounters with refugees of the Zhang tribe; Jeong Jeong, the legendary deserter of the Fire Nation who left after being disillusioned by the system and its violence; and Haru, an earthbender whose village was temporarily occupied by the Fire Nation and left the citizens demoralized.

From Salon

While he was gone, Army leaders declared him absent without leave, opting to not consider him a deserter, which is far more serious.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• defector
• escapee
• lawbreaker