Meanings
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1
verb
to leave secretly in order to marry, or to marry privately without a public ceremony or advance announcement
Rather than plan a large wedding, they decided to elope at the coast.
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2
verb
dated: to leave one's spouse or intended partner and run away with a lover
The scandal began when the officer eloped with a married woman.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman aloper ('to run away; abduct'), probably from a West Germanic compound meaning 'run away.' The marriage sense developed from secretly fleeing with a lover. In modern use, elope can also mean choosing a deliberately private wedding without literal flight or family opposition.