evasion
UK[ɪˈveɪʒn]US[ɪˈveɪʒn]
n
The act of avoiding something or someone, especially in a clever or dishonest way.
n
A statement or action that avoids dealing with something directly.
Morpheme Breakdown
e
vas
ion
e
out
vas
go
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'evasion' originates from the Latin 'evasion-', the stem of 'evasio', which itself derives from the verb 'evadere'. This verb is a compound of the prefix 'e-' (meaning "out") and 'vadere' (meaning "to go"). The literal sense is "to go out, to escape". This concrete meaning of physically escaping evolved in Late Latin and French to encompass the more abstract sense of avoiding an obligation, danger, or direct answer. The suffix '-ion' was added to form the noun describing the act or result of escaping. Thus, the modern meaning of a clever or dishonest act of avoidance logically extends from the ancient concept of walking away from a situation.
Analysis
Structure: e (out) + vas (go) + ion (noun suffix)
e: Latin prefix, meaning "out of, from". Functional role: directional prefix.
vas: Latin root, from the verb 'vadere', meaning "to go, to walk". Functional role: core semantic root.
ion: Latin suffix, forming nouns of action or condition. Functional role: nominalizer.
Examples
He was arrested for tax evasion.
Her answer was a clever evasion of the question.
The rabbit's quick evasion saved it from the fox.