evasive

adjective

eva·​sive i-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv,

ē-

: tending or intended to evade : equivocal

evasive answers

evasively adverb

evasiveness noun

Synonyms

• elusive

Examples of evasive in a Sentence

She gave an evasive answer.

They took evasive action to avoid capture.

Recent Examples on the Web

Poehler’s portrayal of the attorney general was of an evasive Trump loyalist who loves to play the victim and insult senators. —William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2025

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman have been evasive on the matter of the Hassan Haskins–Kimani Vidal workload split. —Andy Behrens, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

Both have been evasive when asked about their relationship status in various interviews. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 9 Oct. 2025

The huge amounts of space junk in orbit, ranging from nuts and bolts to rocket fairings and dead satellites, pose a serious hazard to satellites and the International Space Station, which has to regularly take evasive action to dodge space shrapnel, much of which is moving faster than a bullet. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

evasive

adjective

eva·​sive i-ˈvā-siv 

-ziv

: tending or meant to evade

gave an evasive answer

evasively adverb

evasiveness noun

Legal Definition

evasive

adjective

eva·​sive i-ˈvā-siv, -ziv 

: tending or intending to evade

Note: 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.

evasively adverb

evasiveness noun