evasive

play

adjective eva·sive \i-ˈvā-siv, -ziv, ē-\

Definition of evasive

: tending or intended to evade : equivocal evasive answers

evasively

adverb

evasiveness

noun

See evasive defined for English-language learners

See evasive defined for kids

Examples of evasive in a Sentence

She gave an evasive answer.
They took evasive action to avoid capture.

Recent Examples of evasive from the Web

The companion who brought him, also age 20, there was evasive about what happened, Heinz said.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pot dispensary worker shoots robber, Chula Vista police seek 2 who escaped", 30 June 2017
But what if the tennis hero is annoyingly coy, vague, or evasive about the reason for the drop in form?

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Should you root for Novak Djokovic's comeback story?", 28 June 2017
The copter pilots took evasive action after the drone passed within 20 feet over crowded BB&T Ballpark.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "FAA investigating men flying uptown drones, CMPD says", 15 June 2017
Elizabeth was angry and evasive, but her parents finally got her passwords and soon discovered the truth.

— josh yager, CBS News, "Killer App", 3 June 2017
Alvarez said Kubas drove directly in the path of an oncoming motorcycle, the driver of which was forced to take evasive actions so as not to crash into Kubas’ Corvette, Herrin said.

— david goodhue, miamiherald, "Moments after getting a speeding ticket, he was clocked at 115 mph. Now he’s in jail.", 2 June 2017
But buoyed by rising poll ratings — and the chance to make May look evasive —

— jill lawless, The Seattle Times, "UK Labour chief challenges May to debate as race tightens", 31 May 2017
But that only matters if a company does sue—and no sneaker or clothing company has. Instead, companies have been ramping up evasive maneuvers.

— lauren schwartzberg, WIRED, "The Botmakers Who Rule the Obsessive World of Streetwear", 25 May 2017
But hit the accelerator for passing power or an evasive maneuver and the system is slow to respond.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2017 Jeep Compass Latitude: Getting a leg up on the competition", 19 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evasive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of evasive

1637

EVASIVE Defined for English Language Learners

evasive

play

adjective

Definition of evasive for English Language Learners

: not honest or direct
: done to avoid harm, an accident, etc.

Law Dictionary

evasive

play

adjective eva·sive \i-ˈvā-siv, -ziv\

Legal Definition of evasive

: tending or intending to evade

evasively

adverb

evasiveness

noun

Additional Notes on evasive

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(4), an evasive or incomplete answer to an interrogatory or to a question at a deposition is treated as a failure to answer and may be subject to an opponent's motion to compel an answer.