- a soldier or draftee who leaves or runs away from service or duty with the intention of never returning: Deserters from the rebel army tell of low morale among its remaining fighters.
- a person who fails to uphold a cause or who abandons someone else, especially in violation of a promise or obligation: Some of those remaining in the home country view emigrants living abroad as deserters from their mother culture.A family deserter is one who can but will not support a spouse or dependents.
