Play truant
verb
To deliberately stay away from school without permission.
He regularly played truant when he was supposed to be at school.

Often appears as...
- play truant from school
- catch someone playing truant
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To deliberately stay away from school without permission.
He regularly played truant when he was supposed to be at school.

Often appears as...
- play truant from school
- catch someone playing truant
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 1

Informal Usage
Used mainly in conversational and informal contexts, less common in formal writing.

I heard that Sarah is playing truant again.
Negative Connotation
Often implies a bad judgment of someone's behavior, especially in educational settings.

Playing truant can seriously affect your grades.
Authority Disapproval
Authorities like parents or teachers usually express disapproval when pupils play truant.

The headmaster will talk to those who have played truant.
Informal Usage
Used mainly in conversational and informal contexts, less common in formal writing.

I heard that Sarah is playing truant again.
Negative Connotation
Often implies a bad judgment of someone's behavior, especially in educational settings.

Playing truant can seriously affect your grades.
Authority Disapproval
Authorities like parents or teachers usually express disapproval when pupils play truant.

The headmaster will talk to those who have played truant.
Informal Usage
Used mainly in conversational and informal contexts, less common in formal writing.

I heard that Sarah is playing truant again.
Negative Connotation
Often implies a bad judgment of someone's behavior, especially in educational settings.

Playing truant can seriously affect your grades.
Authority Disapproval
Authorities like parents or teachers usually express disapproval when pupils play truant.

The headmaster will talk to those who have played truant.
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