What does runaway mean?
Runaway is a versatile word that can describe literal flight, uncontrolled movement, or rapid growth beyond reasonable limits. As a noun, a runaway is a person who has escaped from a home, institution, or other authority. As an adjective, it describes a person or thing that is fleeing, escaping, or no longer under effective control: a runaway train, for example, is a train that has broken free from its normal restraints. The word also has a strongly figurative use in discussions of economics, technology, and personal circumstances. Runaway inflation means inflation that is rapidly increasing and difficult to control, while runaway success describes success that has grown exceptionally large or become difficult to manage. In these contexts, runaway usually conveys danger, instability, or loss of control rather than merely a large quantity. The term is standard in both British and American English, although its figurative uses are especially common in journalism, public policy, and technical discussion.
Describing someone or something that is escaping, has escaped, or is operating without effective control; also describing growth or development that is excessive or uncontrolled.
"The runaway horse was eventually caught near the river."
A person who has fled from a home, institution, or other authority, especially someone who has escaped from custody.
"The runaway was found safe after spending the night in a nearby park."
The standard plural is used for multiple people, animals, or vehicles that have escaped or broken free from control.
"The police were tracking two runaways who had fled from the detention center."
A runaway can describe a person on the run, a train that cannot be stopped, or an economy that has lost control.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does runaway come from?
The compound runaway developed from the expression run away and is attested from the early 16th century. Its components have Germanic ancestry: run comes from Old English rinnan, while away comes from Old English on weg, meaning “on the way.” The compound initially referred to a person who had escaped, and it later acquired the broader figurative meanings of escape from control and uncontrolled development.
Related word forms
How runaway is actually used
A runaway is often a person who has left home, school, custody, or another authority. As an adjective, the word is common in technical and economic descriptions and can suggest danger, loss of control, or exceptional and unsustainable growth.