What does eviting mean?
"Eviting" is the present participle of "evite," a rare and now largely archaic English verb meaning to avoid, shun, or keep clear of something, especially through deliberate effort. A person described as eviting danger, temptation, or unwelcome company is one who consciously steers away from it. The word derives from the Latin "evitare," meaning to flee from or escape, formed from "e-" (out) plus "vitare" (to avoid) — the same root that gives us "inevitable." Historically, "evite" appeared in formal prose and religious writing, often describing moral avoidance or prudent retreat from harm. Today the form survives only in older literature and antiquarian contexts, having been fully displaced in ordinary usage by more common synonyms such as "avoiding," "shunning," and "evading." While it holds little place in contemporary speech, "eviting" remains a curiosity for readers of historical texts, offering a compact, Latinate alternative whose meaning can be reliably inferred once its root is recognized.
verb (present participle)"Eviting" is the present participle of the rare and largely archaic verb "evite," meaning to avoid, shun, or escape from something, especially deliberately or habitually.
- Deliberately avoiding, shunning, or steering clear of someone or something (archaic; present participle of 'evite').
"A cautious man by nature, he spent his later years eviting every controversy that came near him."
"Ever the diplomat, she was skilled at eviting any topic likely to cause offence."
"The old chronicler wrote of the saint eviting the temptations of the world."
Long before 'ghosting' and 'dodging,' English speakers who wanted to avoid something were busy 'eviting' it — a Latinate survivor that has all but vanished from modern speech.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eviting
"Eviting" comes from "evite," borrowed into English from the Latin "evitare," meaning to avoid or flee from, itself built on "e-" (out of) and "vitare" (to avoid). The verb entered English in the early modern period and was used chiefly in formal and religious prose before falling out of general use. It shares its Latin root with "inevitable" and "evade," making these its closest living relatives in modern English.
Related word forms
How eviting is actually used
This word belongs to formal or historical registers and is now extremely rare in everyday English; most readers will encounter it only in older texts. Modern writers would almost always use "avoiding" or "shunning" instead.
Easily confused with eviting
"Inviting" means tempting or attractive (or asking someone to come), whereas "eviting" is a rare archaic term meaning avoiding or shunning.