To elope means to run away secretly to get married, usually without telling your parents or family beforehand. When a couple elopes, they skip the big wedding celebration and formal planning, often marrying with just a witness or two present. Couples might elope to Las Vegas, to a courthouse, or to any place where they can legally marry quickly and privately.

People elope for different reasons. Sometimes couples want to avoid the stress and expense of planning a large wedding. Other times, families disapprove of the marriage, so the couple marries in secret. Historically, young people sometimes eloped when their parents forbade them from marrying, like in some old stories and plays.

The word carries a sense of romance and adventure, but also secrecy and urgency. When someone says a couple eloped, it usually means their marriage came as a surprise to friends and family. Eloping can be exciting for the couple, but it may also hurt or upset family members who wanted to celebrate the occasion and share in the joy of the wedding day.