missing persons

[ˈmɪsɪŋ ˈpɜːrsənz]
nounpl: missing persons
pessoas desaparecidas
1. individuals who have disappeared and whose whereabouts are unknown, often involving law enforcement investigation
The police department opened an investigation into the missing persons case.
O departamento de polícia abriu uma investigação sobre o caso de pessoas desaparecidas.
2. people who have gone missing, either voluntarily or involuntarily, and have not been located
The search and rescue team was deployed to look for the missing persons in the mountains.
O time de busca e resgate foi mobilizado para procurar pelas pessoas desaparecidas nas montanhas.
3. a category or report type used by law enforcement to denote individuals whose disappearance is under investigation
Missing persons reports have increased significantly this year.
Os boletins de desaparecimento de pessoas aumentaram significativamente este ano.
In Brazil and the United States, missing persons reports are a critical tool for law enforcement. In Brazil, cases of missing persons often receive significant media attention, particularly when they involve children or suspicious circumstances. The term is formally used by police departments (Delegacias de Polícia) and is frequently featured in news reports. In the USA, missing persons cases become federal matters when crossing state lines or involving potential kidnapping.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
disappeared personslost personsunaccounted for individualsabsent persons
Antonyms / Antônimos
found personslocated individualsaccounted for persons

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
pessoas desaparecidas
standard term used in official reports and media
Rio de Janeiro
pessoas desaparecidas / desaparecido(a)
commonly used in local news and police reports
São Paulo
pessoas desaparecidas
standard usage in official documents and law enforcement
Portugal
pessoas desaparecidas / pessoas em falta
both terms are acceptable; 'em falta' is more common in Portuguese Portuguese

Related Words

search and rescuedisappearanceabductioninvestigationpolice reportwanted personsfugitive

Related Idioms & Phrases

file a missing persons report
missing persons unit
missing persons case
locate missing persons
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