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Runaway vs Refugee - What's the difference?

runaway | refugee | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between runaway and refugee

is that runaway is a person or animal that runs away or has run away; a person, animal, or organization that escapes limitations while refugee is a person seeking refuge in a foreign country out of fear of political persecution or the prospect of such persecution in his home country, i.e., a person seeking a political asylum.

As a verb refugee is

to convey (slaves) away from the advance of the federal forces.

runaway

English

Alternative forms

* run-away

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person or animal that runs away or has run away; a person, animal, or organization that escapes limitations.
  • Runaway children are vulnerable to criminal exploitation.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Thou runaway , thou coward, art thou fled?
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  • A train that is out of control.
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  • *
  • *
  • (usually attributive) An object or process that is out of control or out of equilibrium.
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  • The act of running away, especially of a horse or teams.
  • There was a runaway yesterday.
  • An overwhelming victory.
  • The home side won in a runaway .

    Usage notes

    This word is frequently used attributively, as in "runaway X" to mean "an X which has run away" or "an X which is out of control".

    refugee

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person seeking refuge in a foreign country out of fear of political persecution or the prospect of such persecution in his home country, i.e., a person seeking a political asylum.
  • A person seeking refuge in a foreign country due to poverty and no prospect of overcoming said poverty in his home country, i.e., a person seeking an economic asylum.
  • A person seeking refuge due to a natural disaster.
  • A person formally granted a political or economic asylum by a country other than his home country.
  • Derived terms

    * reffo * refugeehood

    See also

    * asylum * economic asylum * political asylum * refuge * refoulement * citizenshipless * countryless * nationless

    Verb

  • (transitive, US, historical) To convey (slaves) away from the advance of the federal forces.