# elopement

Pronunciation: say "i-LOHP-muhnt" US /ɪˈloʊpmənt/, UK /ɪˈləʊpmənt/

## Noun

1. The act of running away secretly with a romantic partner, usually in order to get married.
   - Simple: Running away in secret with someone you love, usually to get married.
   - _Her parents learned of the elopement only when she called from the courthouse with a ring on her finger._
   - _Elopement offered the couple a way to marry before either family could object._
3. A tiny wedding, planned in the open rather than in secret, with only the couple or a few guests present and often set in a scenic spot.
   - Simple: A very small wedding, not kept secret, with just the couple or a few guests, often somewhere beautiful.
   - _Instead of a 200-guest reception, the couple planned a mountaintop elopement with only a photographer and an officiant._
   - _She runs a small business planning elopements in national parks, handling everything from permits to flowers._

## Noun

2. The act of running away from home, whatever the reason for leaving. *(rare)*
   - Simple: Running away from home, for any reason at all.

## Other meanings

- (noun) In medicine and care settings, the act of a patient or other person needing supervision, such as someone with dementia, autism, or a mental illness, leaving a safe area or caregiver without permission.

## Origin

Formed from the verb "elope" combined with the noun-forming suffix "-ment".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/elopement (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).