evasion

noun

eva·​sion i-ˈvā-zhən 

ē-

1

: a means of evading : dodge

Bankruptcy becomes a kind of evasion when firms, some of them still profitable, attempt to avoid obligations that are merely inconvenient.

—Mary Graham

2

: the act or an instance of evading : escape

suspected of tax evasion

Synonyms of evasion

• 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

One of the case studies detailed in the report involved a request for assistance writing a grant application for funding of gain-of-function research on the transmissibility and immune evasion of the chikungunya virus. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Related Stories The latter who wooed viewers with her portrait of tax inspector Sara Santano, returns here with a new tax evasion case. — Annika Pham, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026

His appointment came after a federal grand jury in Chicago indicted former superintendent Devon Horton on more than a dozen charges, including wire fraud, embezzlement and tax evasion. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Charged with tax evasion, Mitchell was acquitted of criminal charges but paid a $1-million fine to the government. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

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