Standard Lemma guide

elopement

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪˈloʊpmənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of running away from home with a paramour.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of running away secretly for the purpose of getting married.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of running away from home (for any reason).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of a person with dementia or other mental illness wandering away from the area where they are safe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: mental health

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of running away with a lover (usually to get married)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: running away

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English elope Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English elopement From elope + -ment.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 私奔 (sībēn) — running away from home with a paramour
  • Finnish: karkaaminen — running away from home with a paramour
  • French: élopement — running away from home with a paramour
  • German: Durchbrennen — running away from home with a paramour
  • Polish: ucieczka z kochankiem — running away from home with a paramour
  • Spanish: fuga amorosa — running away from home with a paramour
  • Spanish: huida por amor — running away from home with a paramour
  • Catalan: matrimoni en fuga — running away secretly to get married
  • Chinese Mandarin: 私奔 (sībēn) — running away secretly to get married
  • Finnish: karkaaminen — running away secretly to get married
  • French: élopement — running away secretly to get married
  • Indonesian: kawin lari — running away secretly to get married
  • Japanese: 駆け落ち (kakeochi) — running away secretly to get married
  • Polish: ucieczka z partnerem — running away secretly to get married
  • Spanish: fuga matrimonial — running away secretly to get married
  • Spanish: huida maridable — running away secretly to get married
  • Chinese Mandarin: 離家出走 /离家出走 (líjiāchūzǒu) — running away from home for any reason
  • Finnish: karkaaminen — running away from home for any reason
  • Finnish: kotoa karkaaminen — running away from home for any reason
  • French: disparition — running away from home for any reason
  • German: Fortlaufen — running away from home for any reason
  • Polish: ucieczka z domu — running away from home for any reason
  • Spanish: huida — running away from home for any reason
  • Chinese Mandarin: 走失 (zǒushī) — act of a person with mental illness wandering away
  • Finnish: karkaaminen — act of a person with mental illness wandering away
  • Finnish: hoidosta karkaaminen — act of a person with mental illness wandering away
Real reading context

elopement in complete knowledge articles