MIA (Missing In Action)
adjective


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

- the designation for a member of an organization (usually military) with whom contact is lost and whose whereabouts are not known, but whose death is not confirmed

Merriam-Webster, Dictionary Com

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WORD ORIGIN & EVOLUTION

The term "Missing in Action" (MIA) is a military designation used to describe service members who are unaccounted for during or after combat operations. It signifies that an individual has gone missing during active duty, and their status—whether captured, wounded, killed, or otherwise—is unknown.

The formal use of "Missing in Action" emerged during the early 20th century, particularly around the time of World War I. The mechanized nature of modern warfare led to large-scale battles with significant casualties, making it challenging to account for all personnel. As a result, many soldiers were listed as MIA when their bodies were not recovered or identified.

During World War II, the term became more widely recognized, with numerous service members across various nations reported as MIA. The United States, for instance, had approximately 78,750 personnel listed as missing in action by the end of the war.

The Vietnam War further highlighted the significance of the MIA designation. The complexities of guerrilla warfare and challenging terrains resulted in many U.S. service members being unaccounted for. This led to increased public awareness and the establishment of organizations dedicated to accounting for MIAs.

While "Missing in Action" originated as a military term, its usage has extended into civilian contexts. In everyday language, "MIA" is often used informally to describe someone who is unexpectedly absent or unresponsive, such as a colleague missing from a meeting or a friend not replying to messages.

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SYNONYMS

absconding, absent, absent without leave, astray, away, away without leave, awol, behind the curtain, beyond reach, black hole, can't be found, casualty, decamped, disappeared, displaced, dropped off the map, dropped off the radar, ducked out, elsewhere, fell off the radar, flown, flown the coop, ghosted, gone, gone awol, gone dark, gone for a burton, gone missing, gone silent, gone walkabout, in absentia, in the wind, invisible, lacking, lost, lost in action, lost in space, lost without a trace, mia, missing, missing from duty, MIA (missing in action), missing in combat, missing the boat, missing the mark, moved out, no longer in the loop, no longer present, non-present, nonattendant, not a sign of, not accounted for, not answering, not here, not present, nowhere to be found, off the grid, off the map, off the radar, out, out of communication, out of contact, out of pocket, out of sight, out of the loop, out of the picture, out of touch, out the window, out to lunch, out to sea, over the horizon, playing dead, radio silent, runaway, run-off, silent treatment, split, taken a powder, truant, unavailable, unreachable, unaccounted for, unresponsive, vanished, vanished into thin air, victim, whereabouts unknown, withdrawn

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation today, say something like:

“Do you ever feel like going MIA during some social media conversations?”

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