evasion
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of escaping, avoiding, or shirking something.
evasion of one's duty.
- Synonyms:
- avoidance
-
the avoiding of an argument, accusation, question, or the like, as by a subterfuge.
The old political boss was notorious for his practice of evasion.
- Synonyms:
- quibbling, equivocation, prevarication
-
a means of evading; subterfuge; an excuse or trick to avoid or get around something.
Her polite agreement was an evasion concealing what she really felt.
-
physical or mental escape.
-
an act or instance of violating the tax laws by failing or refusing to pay all or part of one's taxes.
noun
-
the act of evading or escaping, esp from a distasteful duty, responsibility, etc, by trickery, cunning, or illegal means
tax evasion
-
trickery, cunning, or deception used to dodge a question, duty, etc; means of evading
Other Word Forms
- evasional adjective
- nonevasion noun
- preevasion noun
- reevasion noun
Etymology
Origin of evasion
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ēvāsiōn- (stem of ēvāsiō ), equivalent to ēvās ( us ) (past participle of ēvādere to go out; evade ) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With large unpaid sums at stake, tax evasion counts as a felony that can lead to prison time.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit, anticipated a higher rate of evasion on this tax, leading to a revenue gain of $3.3 trillion.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
I find it incredibly telling that A.I.’s favorite way to describe any phenomenon is via evasion, or telling us what something is not.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
Tax avoidance is different to tax evasion, which is a criminal offence.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
It was a feeble sort of evasion, a sad rag wrapped around his wounded word.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.