Abscondee

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who has fled or secretly departed to escape arrest or legal obligations
2. An individual who illegally avoids capture or responsibilities by going into hiding or taking flight
3. A person who evades legal consequences by disappearing or fleeing from authorities

Etymology: "Abscondee" is a plain formation: the verb "abscond" with the suffix "-ee", which marks the person on the receiving end of an action. An abscondee is therefore someone who has absconded, the person who has gone into hiding or slipped away, often to avoid arrest or legal duties. The verb itself has a more dramatic past. "Abscond" comes from Latin "abscondere," meaning "to hide away" or "to put out of sight," built from "ab-" ("away") and "condere" ("to put together, store"). The sense of hiding has stayed with it, so the word has always carried the idea of concealment rather than simple departure. The suffix "-ee" came into English through Anglo-Norman French, where it marked the recipient of an action, as in "employee" or "trustee." Attaching it to "abscond" follows that pattern, producing a noun for the person who has made the escape.

Synonyms: fugitive, runaway, escapee, absconder