evasion
An evasion is when someone avoids talking about or dealing with a problem, question, or situation. They might not directly say no or yes to something.
When people talk about evasions, they often think of politicians who sidestep answering tough questions during debates or interviews. For instance, if a politician says "I'm focusing on the economy right now" when asked about a personal scandal, that's an evasion – they're avoiding talking about it directly. But in everyday life, we all try to evade things sometimes, like our in-laws' gossip or an awkward family conversation at dinner. We might change the subject quickly, laugh it off, or pretend we didn't hear what was said. Some people even try to avoid doing their taxes by evading the issue with excuses and procrastination.
How common is "evasion"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
The act of eluding or evading or avoiding, particularly the pressure of an argument, accusation, charge, or interrogation; artful means of eluding.
Real examples of "evasion" in context
