Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Absent without official permission or leave: Describes a person, especially a soldier or employee, who is absent from their duty or post without having obtained proper authorization.
   • Truant, missing: Can describe someone who is absent from a required place, such as school or work, without permission.

2. Noun:

   • A person who is absent without leave: Specifically refers to an individual, often a member of the military, who has left their post or duty without official permission.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The sergeant reported three soldiers as AWOL after morning roll call.
  • She was marked AWOL for failing to show up to her shift without calling.
• Noun:
  • The base commander ordered a search for the AWOL.
  • Two AWOLs were apprehended at the border.

Advanced Usage

• "to go AWOL": This is the most common phrasal verb usage. It means to leave one's duty, post, or responsibilities without permission or notice.
  • After the stressful week, he just went AWOL and didn't come to the office for three days.
  • The private went AWOL during basic training.

Variants and Related Words

• Absent Without Leave (A.W.O.L.): The full, formal phrase from which the acronym "AWOL" is derived. It is often used in official military or institutional contexts.
• Truant (adj/n): Commonly used in civilian contexts, especially for students absent from school without permission.
  • The truant officer looked for students skipping class.

Synonyms

• Unauthorized absence: (n) The state or act of being absent without permission.
• Deserter (n): A more severe term, typically for a soldier who leaves duty with the intent not to return.
• Truant (adj/n): Specifically for students absent from school.

Related Phrases

• Go AWOL: (phrasal verb) To become absent without leave.
  • The manager warned that anyone who goes AWOL again will be fired.
• Be declared AWOL: To be officially recorded as being absent without permission.
  • If you don't report in, you will be declared AWOL.

Related Idioms

• While not a traditional idiom, "go AWOL" is often used figuratively in informal contexts to describe anything that has disappeared or stopped functioning unexpectedly.
  • My motivation seems to have gone AWOL this afternoon.
  • The remote control has gone AWOL again—has anyone seen it?

Adjective

1. absent without permission
   • truant schoolboys
   • the soldier was AWOL for almost a week

Noun

1. one who is away or absent without leave