elusive
UK[ɪˈluːsɪv]US[ɪˈluːsɪv]
adj
difficult to find, catch, or achieve
adj
difficult to remember or understand clearly
Morpheme Breakdown
e
lus
ive
e
out
lus
play
ive
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'elusive' originates from the latin verb 'eludere', meaning 'to escape from' or 'to finish playing'. This verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'e-' (out) and 'ludere' (to play). The core semantic idea is that of a game, where one escapes or slips away from an opponent's grasp. The modern english adjective, formed by adding the suffix '-ive', retains this sense of slipping away, but applies it abstractly to things that are difficult to capture, define, or pin down, much like a clever player evading capture.
Analysis
Structure: e (out) + lus (play) + ive (adjective suffix)
- e: a latin prefix, a variant of 'ex-', meaning 'out' or 'away'.
- lus: from latin 'ludere' (to play) via its past participle stem 'lus-'.
- ive: a latin-derived suffix forming adjectives meaning 'tending to', 'having the nature of'.
Examples
the elusive criminal managed to evade capture for years.
she has an elusive quality that makes her hard to describe.
a solution to the problem remains elusive.