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Glite Dictionary
alien absconder

alien absconder

9.9
A foreign person who stays in the United States after a court orders them to leave
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪliən æbˈskɒndər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : extranjero prófugo
  • Hundreds of alien absconders have been located and detained this year.

Examples

  • The government launched a new program targeting alien absconders across several major cities.

  • The authorities are searching for an alien absconder in the area.

  • Legal advocates argue that the rights of alien absconders must still be protected during enforcement actions.

  • Don't become an alien absconder!

  • The government launched a new program targeting alien absconders across several major cities.

  • Hundreds of alien absconders have been located and detained this year.

  • Legal advocates argue that the rights of alien absconders must still be protected during enforcement actions.

Synonyms

fugitive
vsalien absconder
213 6.6

A person who runs away and hides from the police or danger

is a noncitizen who stayed after a deportation order not a general hiding case
fugitive from justice
vsalien absconder
  • Formal
5 7.9

A person wanted by the police who tries to avoid arrest

is a noncitizen who remained after a deportation order and faces removal
absconder
vsalien absconder
  • Formal
1 8.7

A person who runs away to avoid arrest or punishment

is a noncitizen who remained after deportation order rather than merely avoiding punishment

Surface Forms

alien absconder singular
alien absconders plural

Morphology

alien + absconder

The compound is a straightforward composition of 'alien' (a foreign national) and 'absconder' (someone who has absconded), so the meaning 'a foreign national who has absconded and become a fugitive from immigration control' is directly derivable from the parts. Although the term has a specific legal nuance, that nuance is predictable from the constituents and common compounding patterns, so a learner who knows both words should understand it.

Etymology

The compound noun alien absconder joins alien (an old word for a person from another country) and absconder (someone who 'runs away' and hides). It paints the picture of a person who slips away to avoid an order to leave the country, so today it means 'a foreign person who stays and hides instead of leaving'.