truant
C1Formal to neutral; common in educational, legal, and literary contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A child who stays away from school without permission; someone who avoids their duties or responsibilities.
Originally and primarily used for a pupil absent from school illegally; extended to describe any person who shirks or neglects their work, duties, or obligations.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strongly associated with compulsory schooling and juvenile delinquency. As a verb, it implies intentional, illicit absence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK English, 'truant' is the standard term for unauthorized school absence; in US English, 'play hooky' or 'skip school' is more common in informal speech, though 'truant' is understood and used formally.
Connotations
UK: Strong institutional/legal connotation (truancy officer, truancy rates). US: Can sound slightly old-fashioned or formal in everyday talk.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English, especially in news and official reports on education.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to truant from [school/work]to play truantVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Play truant”
- “Truant officer”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; metaphorically for an employee avoiding work.
Academic
Common in sociology, education, and law papers discussing school attendance.
Everyday
Used by parents, teachers, and in news about school issues.
Technical
Legal/administrative term in education law (e.g., 'truancy proceedings').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Several Year 9 pupils were caught truanting from maths.
- He began to truant regularly after the bullying started.
American English
- The system flags students who truant more than three times a month.
- She was grounded for truanting from her after-school club.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The boy did not go to school. He was a truant.
- The teacher called the parents because their son was playing truant.
- Persistent truancy can lead to involvement with social services and legal action.
- The study correlated high truancy rates with socioeconomic deprivation in the borough.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'TRUE' + 'ANT' — A true ant is always working; a TRUANT is NOT working/attending.
Conceptual Metaphor
ABSENCE IS A CRIME / DUTY IS A PLACE TO BE PRESENT
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите как 'бродяга' (vagrant/hobo). Правильный перевод для школьного контекста — 'прогульщик'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'truant' as a general synonym for 'lazy person' (too broad).
- Incorrect: 'He truanted school.' Correct: 'He truanted from school' or 'He played truant.'
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is most commonly used in informal American English for 'play truant'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. While it can be used metaphorically for adults avoiding work ('a truant from duty'), this is less common and often literary.
'Absent' is neutral—it simply means not present. 'Truant' implies the absence is unauthorized, illicit, and usually from school.
Yes, but it's less common than the noun or phrase 'play truant'. As a verb, it is intransitive and used with 'from' (e.g., 'to truant from school').
An official (often employed by a local education authority or school) whose job is to investigate unauthorized school absences and work with families to improve attendance.
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