elopement

E1L1O1P3E1M3E1N1T1
/ɪˈloʊpmənt/

noun

The act of running away from home with a paramour.

OriginEnglish elope ← Anglo-Norman aloper ← Proto-West Germanic *andihlaupan →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounelopement (countable and uncountable, plural elopements)

plural elopements

  1. countableuncountableThe act of running away from home with a paramour.

    You may not have heard of the last blow—Julia's elopement; she is gone to Scotland with Yates.

    1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter LXVI, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 287
    1 more example

    […] Jo […] was already deep in the concoction of her story, being unable to decide whether the duel should come before the elopement or after the murder.

    1869, Louisa May Alcott, chapter 27, in Little Women
  2. countableuncountableThe act of running away secretly for the purpose of getting married.
  3. countableuncountableThe act of running away from home (for any reason).
  4. countableuncountablemental healthmedicineThe act of a person with dementia or other mental illness wandering away from the area where they are safe.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂unt-
  3. Proto-Germanic*unþa-
  4. Proto-West Germanic*unþa-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*klewb-
  6. Proto-Germanic*hlaupaną
  7. Proto-West Germanic*hlaupan
  8. Proto-West Germanic*andihlaupan
  9. Anglo-Normanaloper
  10. Englishelope
  11. Englishelopement

From elope + -ment.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan matrimoni en fuga
  • matrimoni en fugarunning away secretly to get married
Chinese Mandarin 私奔, 離家出走 /离家出走
  • 私奔 (sībēn)running away secretly to get married
  • 離家出走 /离家出走 (líjiāchūzǒu)running away from home for any reason
  • 走失 (zǒushī)act of a person with mental illness wandering away
  • 私奔 (sībēn)running away from home with a paramour
Finnish karkaaminen, karkaaminen
  • karkaaminenrunning away secretly to get married
  • karkaaminenrunning away from home for any reason
  • kotoa karkaaminenrunning away from home for any reason
  • karkaaminenact of a person with mental illness wandering away
  • hoidosta karkaaminenact of a person with mental illness wandering away
  • karkaaminenrunning away from home with a paramour
French élopement, disparition
  • élopementrunning away secretly to get married
  • disparitionrunning away from home for any reason
  • élopementrunning away from home with a paramour
German Fortlaufen, Durchbrennen
  • Fortlaufenrunning away from home for any reason
  • Durchbrennenrunning away from home with a paramour
Indonesian kawin lari
  • kawin larirunning away secretly to get married
Japanese 駆け落ち
  • 駆け落ち (kakeochi)running away secretly to get married
Polish ucieczka z partnerem, ucieczka z domu
  • ucieczka z partneremrunning away secretly to get married
  • ucieczka z domurunning away from home for any reason
  • ucieczka z kochankiemrunning away from home with a paramour
Spanish fuga matrimonial, huida maridable
  • fuga matrimonialrunning away secretly to get married
  • huida maridablerunning away secretly to get married
  • huidarunning away from home for any reason
  • fuga amorosarunning away from home with a paramour
  • huida por amorrunning away from home with a paramour
Cite this entry
APA

elopement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elopement

MLA

“elopement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elopement. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elopement,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elopement.

Source: elopement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.