AWOL Meaning | Examples and Origin

AWOL or A-W-O-L is an abbreviation for absent without leave. This term and its pronunciation as an acronym, as we know it today, originated in the United States Military during World War I although there are unsubstantiated claims that it originated earlier, such as during the Civil War. The phrase itself, absent without leave, was used as early as the 1600s. To be absent without leave, in the military, means to absent from your military duties, from your base or station, without permission.