Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

MIA

1 American  

plural

MIA's, MIAs

  1. missing in action.

  2. a soldier declared missing in action.

M.I.A. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. Master of International Affairs.

  2. Military. missing in action.

MIA British  

abbreviation

  1. military missing in action: officially unaccounted for following combat

  2. (in Australia) Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Feeding frenzy” and “character assassination” were terms tossed about later, but with Joanna MIA and the investigation continuing, very little concern was expressed for Mr. Jefferies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

As a result, history and original meaning were MIA in a dispute when they should have been front and center.

From Slate • Dec. 11, 2025

“I’m sorry I always go MIA I love you guys,” the 28-year-old model and activist captioned her Instagram carousel, shared Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

When they went out, the singer and her siblings would blast out hits by Coldplay, MIA, Lily Allen and Daughter.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2025

One MIA driver told the story of having come upon an elderly woman hobbling along the road.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.