What does evasion mean?
Evasion is a noun describing the act of avoiding, escaping, or sidestepping someone or something, particularly when this is achieved through cleverness, indirectness, or outright deceit. It is frequently used in formal and legal contexts: a politician may be accused of evasion when dodging a difficult question, and 'tax evasion' names the criminal act of illegally withholding money owed to the government. The word carries a distinctly negative or at least disapproving connotation — unlike neutral terms such as 'avoidance', it implies that the person evading has a duty to face up to whatever they are shirking. Derived from the Latin 'evadere' ('to escape'), it belongs to the same family as 'invade' and 'pervade', all rooted in the verb 'vadere', meaning 'to go'. Its adjective form, 'evasive', is equally common in everyday speech.
nounThe act of avoiding or escaping someone or something, especially by means of deceit, cleverness, or indirectness. It also denotes the avoidance of a legal, financial, or moral duty or obligation.
- The act of avoiding or escaping someone or something, especially through deceit, cleverness, or indirectness.
- The illegal or dishonest avoidance of a duty, obligation, or payment (especially tax evasion).
"His evasive answers were widely seen as a masterful act of political evasion."
"The senator's speech was full of careful evasion rather than direct answers."
"He was charged with tax evasion after failing to declare his offshore income."
The plural is used when referring to multiple distinct instances of avoiding something, especially multiple deceptive answers or separate acts of wrongdoing.
"The report catalogued a long list of the minister's evasions over the past year."
The word 'evasion' shares its Latin root with 'invade' — both come from 'vadere', to go — so every evasion is literally a 'going out' of someone's way.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of evasion
Evasion derives from the Latin verb 'evadere', formed from 'e-' ('out of') plus 'vadere' ('to go'), hence 'to go out, escape'. It entered English in the early 17th century via French 'évasion'. It shares its root with related English words such as 'invade' (from 'invadere'), 'pervade' (from 'pervadere'), and the native derivative 'evade', all tracing back to the same Latin verb of motion.
Related word forms
How evasion is actually used
Evasion is most often used in formal, legal, and journalistic contexts. When applied to questions or issues, it implies deliberate indirectness and usually carries a mildly negative connotation. The phrase 'tax evasion' specifically denotes the illegal failure to pay taxes owed, distinguishing it from the lawful practice of 'tax avoidance'.
Easily confused with evasion
An invasion is the forceful entry into a place by an armed force or an unwelcome intrusion, while evasion is the act of avoiding or escaping something.
Avoidance is a neutral term for keeping away from something, whereas evasion typically carries a connotation of doing so through trickery, deceit, or evasion of a specific duty.