e ‧ lu ‧ sive /ɪˈluːsɪv/ BrE AmE adjective
1 . an elusive person or animal is difficult to find or not often seen:
She managed to get an interview with that elusive man.
2 . an elusive result is difficult to achieve:
She enjoys a firm reputation in this country but wider international success has been elusive.
3 . an elusive idea or quality is difficult to describe or understand:
For me, the poem has an elusive quality.
—elusively adverb
—elusiveness noun [uncountable]