evasion

noun

eva·​sion i-ˈvā-zhən 

ē-

1

: a means of evading : dodge

2

: the act or an instance of evading : escape

suspected of tax evasion

Synonyms

• escape
• avoidance

Examples of evasion in a Sentence

He was arrested for tax evasion.

They came up with an evasion of the law to keep all the land for themselves.

His reply was nothing but careful evasions.

Recent Examples on the Web

The agency has also reported a loss of $4 million through bus fare evasion. —Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025

Schelling says honesty and openness trump awkwardness or evasion. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025

Reichardt emphasizes the extremity of the action with a strikingly novel form of cinematic narrative that, in a more ordinary drama, might feel like a facile evasion. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025

The fare evasion crackdown came in response to what MTS officials have described as a tenfold increase in evasions that was costing the system about $1 million per month. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin evasion-, evasio, from Latin evadere to evade

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for evasion

• abrasion
• caucasian
• equation
• eurasian
• invasion
• occasion
• persuasion
• asian
• suasion
• athanasian

Kids Definition

evasion

noun

eva·​sion i-ˈvā-zhən 

1

: a means of evading

2

: the act or an instance of evading : escape

tax evasion

Legal Definition

evasion

noun

eva·​sion i-ˈvā-zhən 

1

: a means of evading

2

: the act or an instance of evading see also tax evasion