: tending to elude: such as
a
: tending to evade grasp or pursuit
elusive prey
b
: hard to comprehend or define
c
: hard to isolate or identify
elusively
adverb
elusiveness
noun
elu·sive·ness
|ivnə̇s,
|ēv- also |əv-
: the quality or state of being elusive
the author's elusiveness may at times be construed … as evasiveness—
J. W. Chase
J. W. Chasebrings vividly before us the elusiveness of the eternal objects of sense—A. N. Whitehead
A. N. Whiteheadresented charges of rough tactics in his base running, maintaining that he developed elusiveness by his fall-away or fadeaway slide—Current Biography
Current BiographyExamples of elusive in a Sentence
Adjective
But for all their influence, D.C. lobbyists have failed to attain one elusive goal: public respect.
—Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Franklin Foer, New Republic, 25 Mar. 2002
In truth, the ideal of wholly disinterested scholarship—in any field of research—will probably remain an elusive one.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
His meanings have been known to be elusive, which is why he appeals to pop cryptographers.
—Sarah Vowell, GQ, November 1998
This boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle.
—Leon Lederman et al., The God Particle, 1993
The truth may prove elusive.
the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive inhabitants
Recent Examples on the Web
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 June 2026
The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to more swiftly detect, engage, and defeat small, elusive unmanned threats.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026
While individual productivity gains are significant — as high as fivefold — generative AI’s ROI remains elusive.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
These objects have remained hypothetical as evidence of their existence has proved elusive.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for elusive
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Adjective
The footage is chaotic, dreamlike, and profoundly unnerving as the young caregiver grows increasingly intimate with her elusive charge.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 June 2026
The system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to more swiftly detect, engage, and defeat small, elusive unmanned threats.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026
While individual productivity gains are significant — as high as fivefold — generative AI’s ROI remains elusive.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
These objects have remained hypothetical as evidence of their existence has proved elusive.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for elusive
Cite this Entry
“Elusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elusive. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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