The AWOL meaning familiar to many is “absent without leave” or “absent without official leave. It was originally a military term referring to a soldier not reporting for duty and lacking permission for that. Today, it has a much broader range of applications. Please read on to get a fuller sense of what the term means and how to use it.
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What Does AWOL Mean?
AWOL stands for “absent without leave” or “absent without official leave.” It is an adjective describing someone absent or negligent regarding their duties. That person also does not have permission for said absence or negligence.
This AWOL meaning originated in the military. A classic example is a soldier abandoning their post during a time of war. This is a crime in almost all cases and can lead to trial, dishonorable discharge, and imprisonment.
Like many other military terms, AWOL has caught on with the broader population, and its usage has expanded as well. It can range from skipping work without notice to a person who is emotionally distant.
Example sentences:
- The soldier never forgave himself for going AWOL during combat
- As punishment for going AWOL for the weekend, the officer was demoted a rank.
- While you went AWOL yesterday, everyone else at the office had to pick up your slack.
- The house was such a mess that we assumed the owners were AWOL.
- My car keys have gone AWOL again, lol.
- Our elected representative appears to be AWOL; he is not responsive to constituents’ concerns.
- After admitting that her husband had been emotionally AWOL for years, the woman filed for divorce.
When and How To Use Awol?
In addition to being really popular, AWOL is also highly versatile; it can be used in almost any medium. It’s common in emails, texting, and social media.
Unlike many other acronyms and abbreviations, AWOL is also common in spoken language. Spoken aloud, it sounds a lot like “A-wall.”
Most of the time, people capitalize AWOL because it’s immediately recognizable and understood that way. People sometimes use lowercase letters, but it might make someone think it’s a misspelling of something else.
Other Words Related to AWOL
Because AWOL comes from a specific military context, there aren’t too many terms that mean the same thing.
Examples:
- Truant: This one may be the closest. When a student is absent from school without an excuse, he or she is truant.
- Missing: You can use this if someone or something is missing and no one knows why.
- Absent: This is similar to being truant if there’s no reason given for it. It can also describe a person who’s emotionally absent or neglectful of duties.
- Gone: Again, this can describe an absence without permission or explanation.
- Missing in Action (MIA): Be careful with this one. It can refer to someone who’s not present for their job, but it has another meaning. That one’s a military term for a soldier who has been captured, wounded, or killed without being accounted for.
- Off the Reservation: Be careful with this one, too. It indicates an absence not accounted for or defying one’s side, but many people find the term offensive now. That’s because it originally applied to Native Americans who left the reservations they were forced onto.
Final Thoughts
AWOL comes from the military and means “absent without leave” or “absent without official leave. This AWOL meaning has grown over time and is now widely used outside the military. It’s usually a critical term, so if someone accuses you of being AWOL, they’re probably unhappy with you!
