MIA

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adjective

ˌem-(ˌ)ī-ˈā 

: missing in action

He was a U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam, where he was reported MIA for a period of time.

—The Pilot (Southern Pines, North Carolina)

—often used figuratively for someone or something notably or unexpectedly missing, absent, or inactive

Anna Kournikova has been MIA since last month as the result of a stress fracture in her left foot.

—Sports Illustrated

… considered everything that could go wrong on her wedding day—lousy weather, droopy centerpieces, an MIA photographer …

—Jason Lynch

John Hurt … had critics and audiences marking him as a major new filmmaker. Then he went MIA [=he disappeared; he was not heard from] for five years …

—Stephen Rebello

MIA

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noun

plural MIAs also MIA's

: a member of the armed forces reported to be missing in action

Today, despite advances in casualty accounting, unanswered questions still torment many families of MIAs.

—David Sears

A voice from somewhere in the mess hall: "A toast to the POWs and MIAs!"

—Jayne Hendel

… a metal dog tag imprinted with the names of four Israeli MIA's …

—Yossi Klein Halevi

Examples of MIA in a Sentence

Noun

The fate of most MIAs in the war is still not known.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

missing in action

First Known Use

Adjective

1946, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1944, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing MIA

• went MIA