Elope vs Abscond - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between elope and abscond

is that elope is to run away from home with a paramour while abscond is to hide, to be in hiding or concealment.

elope

English

(Elopement)

Alternative forms

* (obsolete)

Verb

(en-verb)

(of a married person) To run away from home with a paramour.

(of an unmarried person) To run away secretly for the purpose of getting married with one's intended spouse; to marry in a quick or private fashion, especially without a public period of engagement.

* 1813 , Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

My younger sister has left all her friends-- has eloped ; has thrown herself into the power of-- of Mr. Wickham.

* 1996 , "Introduction", in The Piozzi Letters: Correspondence of Hester Lynch Piozzi, 1784-1821 (formerly Mrs. Thrale), Volume 4, 1805-1810 (eds. Edward A. Bloom & Lillian D. Bloom), Associated University Presses (1996), ISBN 0874133939, page 30:

Although Cecilia was the youngest of the surviving Thrale daughters, she had been the first to marry, eloping to Gretna Green in 1795 with John Meredith Mostyn of neighboring Llewesog Lodge. Both were underage.

* 2009 , Jan Springer, Intimate Stranger , Ellora's Cave (2009), ISBN 9781419921735, page 132:

Although they had eloped in Vegas, she'd insisted he wear a tuxedo and she buy a wedding dress at one of the local stores.

* 2012 , Shirley Jump, One Day to Find a Husband , Harlequin (2012), ISBN 9780373178216, page 136:

They knew each other for maybe a month before they eloped in Vegas.

(dated) To run away from home (for any reason).

* 1782 , Frances Burney, Cecilia

He had been intended by his father for trade, but his spirit, soaring above the occupation for which he was designed, from repining led him to resist, and from resisting, to rebel. He eloped from his friends, and contrived to enter the army.

* c. 1794 , Jane Austen, Lady Susan

That horrid girl of mine has been trying to run away. I had not a notion of her being such a little devil before, she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness; but on receiving the letter in which I declared my intention about Sir James, she actually attempted to elope ; at least, I cannot otherwise account for her doing it. She meant, I suppose, to go to the Clarkes in Staffordshire, for she has no other acquaintances.

Derived terms

* elopement

abscond

English

Verb

(en verb)

(intransitive, reflexive, archaic) To hide, to be in hiding or concealment.

* 1691-1735 , (John Ray), The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation [http://books.google.com/books?id=rRI5AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA300&dq=intitle:works+of+creation+inauthor:ray&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mpnNUZHMJ4Pu0gGZo4GICw&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=absconds&f=false]

the Marmotto , live upon its own Fat.

(reflexive) To flee, often secretly; to steal away, particularly to avoid arrest or prosecution.

* 1848 , (Thomas Babington Macaulay), , Ch. 13

... that very homesickness which, in regular armies, drives so many recruits to abscond at the risk of stripes and of death.

* 1911 , (Ambrose Bierce), (w, The Devil's Dictionary)

Spring beckons! All things to the call respond;
The trees are leaving and cashiers abscond .

To withdraw from.

* 2006 , Richard Rojcewicz, The Gods And Technology: A Reading Of Heidegger , ISBN 0791482308.

Modern technology accompanies the absconding of the original attitude.

* 2009 , Sonia Brill, Relationships Without Anger , ISBN 144902789X.

You cannot abscond from the responsibility both you and your partner owe to this event, and that includes dealing with anger issues and any other emotional issues that come with it.

(obsolete) To conceal; to take away.

(label) To evade, to hide or flee from.

The captain absconded his responsibility

* 2006 , Aldo E. Chircop, Olof Lindén, Places of Refuge for Ships , ISBN 900414952X.

If the distress situation is solved succesfully, the anonymous shipowner will reap the commercial benefit, if the situation ends in disaster, the shipowner will hide behind an anonymous post box in a foreign country and will abscond responsibility.

References

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