/ ɪˈveɪd; NAmE / verb
1.
to escape from sb/sth or avoid meeting sb :
[ vn ]
For two weeks they evaded the press.
He managed to evade capture .
[also v -ing ]
2.
to find a way of not doing sth, especially sth that legally or morally you should do :
[ vn ]
to evade payment of taxes
She is trying to evade all responsibility for her behaviour.
[also v -ing ]
3.
to avoid dealing with or talking about sth :
[ vn ]
Come on, don't you think you're evading the issue ?
[ v -ing ]
to evade answering a question
4.
[ vn ] ( formal ) to not come or happen to sb
SYN elude :
The answer evaded him (= he could not think of it) .
—see also evasion , evasive
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent.: from French évader , from Latin evadere from e- (variant of ex- ) out of + vadere go.