What does eloped mean?
"Eloped" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "elope," which means to run away secretly in order to get married, usually without the knowledge or approval of one's parents or guardians. The word conjures images of clandestine romance — couples slipping off at night to be wed far from home, historically at places like Scotland's Gretna Green, where lenient marriage laws attracted fleeing English lovers for generations. In contemporary usage, "eloped" has softened from its dramatic origins and is often applied to any small, private wedding conducted without guests or elaborate ceremony, whether or not family disapproval was involved. The word carries a romantic, faintly old-fashioned flavor, though it remains entirely current in both British and American English. A related noun, "elopement," describes the act itself, and an "eloper" is the person who flees.
verb"Eloped" is the past tense and past participle of "elope," meaning to run away secretly in order to get married, typically without parental consent or a formal ceremony.
- To have run away secretly in order to get married, especially without parental consent or a formal wedding.
- (Less common, older) To have run away from home or a confined place generally; to have absconded.
"Against her family's wishes, she eloped with her childhood sweetheart to Gretna Green."
"The young couple eloped at dawn, leaving only a note behind for their stunned parents."
"In the eighteenth century, many lovers crossed the border and eloped at Gretna Green, where marriage laws were lax."
For centuries, couples have 'eloped to Gretna Green' — the Scottish border village that became the world's most famous runaway-wedding destination because Scottish law let couples marry without parental permission.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eloped
"Elope" entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German forms meaning "to run away" (compare Dutch "ontlopen"). Its root is related to the verb "lope," meaning to run or canter easily. Originally it could mean running away generally, but by the eighteenth century its sense had narrowed almost exclusively to running off in order to marry, cemented by the fame of elopements to Gretna Green after England's strict Marriage Act of 1753.
Related word forms
How eloped is actually used
"Eloped" carries a romantic, slightly old-fashioned connotation, though modern usage often applies it neutrally to any small, private wedding without family present — including planned destination ceremonies. It is standard in both British and American English; the older, broader sense of simply running away is now rare.
Easily confused with eloped
"Enveloped" means wrapped or surrounded completely, while "eloped" refers to running away secretly to marry.