What does evite mean?
"Evite" is one of English's quieter curiosities: a rare, largely literary verb meaning to avoid, shun, or deliberately steer clear of something. It derives from Latin "evitare" ("to avoid"), built on "ex-" (out) plus "vitare" (to shun), the same root that gives us "inevitable." In ordinary modern prose you will almost never meet the verb; writers prefer "avoid" or "shun." What most people recognize instead is the noun "evite" — an electronic invitation sent by email or app — which entered everyday speech after the launch of the Evite website in 1998 and is now often used generically for any digital invitation. Because of this, context matters: in older texts an "evited" person is being avoided, while in contemporary usage an evite is something you accept on your phone. The word rewards careful reading.
To avoid, shun, or evade someone or something.
"By leaving before the debate began, he managed to evite the argument."
Rare and literary; "avoid" is the normal word in modern usage.
An electronic invitation to an event, sent via email or an app rather than on paper.
"Did you get the evite for Priya's birthday dinner?"
Informal, late 20th century; popularized by the Evite platform.
Plural applies only to the modern noun sense (electronic invitations); the verb has no plural form.
"All the evites went out weeks before the wedding."
The verb 'evite' is so obscure that most people only know it from the party-invitations website that borrowed its sound.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of evite
"Evite" comes from Latin "evitare," meaning "to avoid or shun," formed from "ex-" (out) and "vitare" (to avoid). It entered English in the early 17th century but remained scarce, surviving mainly in formal writing alongside its adjective "evitable" and the far more familiar "inevitable." Separately, the late 20th-century blend "e-" + "invite" produced the noun "evite" for an electronic invitation, popularized by the Evite platform launched in 1998. Cognate forms sharing the root include French "éviter" and Spanish "evitar."
Related word forms
How evite is actually used
As a verb, "evite" is genuinely rare and belongs to formal or literary registers; many dictionaries omit it, and ordinary writing prefers "avoid" or "shun." The lowercase noun "evite" is informal and modern, popularized by the Evite platform founded in 1998, and is often used generically for any emailed or app-based invitation.
Easily confused with evite
"Invite" means to ask someone to attend or take part in something, while the rare verb "evite" means to avoid or shun something; they are also easily confused with the noun "evite," a modern term for an electronic invitation.