Standard Lemma guide
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
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noun
A person seeking refuge (as for shelter or protection), especially in a foreign country, out of fear or prospect of political, religious persecution, war, natural disaster, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, attributive, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A person who is fleeing from justice, punishment deemed righteous, etc.; a runaway, a fugitive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, derogatory
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To convey (slaves) away from the advance of the federal forces.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, historical, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
an exile who flees for safety
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: exile, expatriate, expat
Narrower terms: displaced person, DP, stateless person
History
From French réfugié, past participle of réfugier (“to take refuge, to seek refuge”), from Old French refuge (“hiding place”) from Latin refugium (“a place of refuge, place to flee back to”), originally describing French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Noun sense 1 was "one seeking asylum" until 1914, when it evolved to mean more generally "one fleeing home" (first applied in this sense to civilians in Flanders heading west to escape fighting in World War I). By surface analysis, refuge + -ee. Displaced native Old English flīema.
Across languages
253 source translations are retained for this English entry.
