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

Iran, alongside Russia and China, has mastered sanctions evasion, using shadow fleets, alternative payment systems, and loosely regulated financial havens to move capital beyond Western oversight. —Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026

The script’s blank spots and evasions leave the drama feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfying. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026

At a Tax Day Forum in Manhattan on April 15, Mamdani spoke alongside American and French economists studying tax evasion and wealth inequality. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026

The ban dates back to 1868, when lawmakers passed a federal law during the Reconstruction era to crack down on liquor tax evasion. —Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 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