avoidance
Americannoun
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the act of avoiding or keeping away from.
the avoidance of scandal; the avoidance of one's neighbors.
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Law. a making void; annulment.
noun
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the act of keeping away from or preventing from happening
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law
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the act of annulling or making void
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the countering of an opponent's plea with fresh evidence
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ecclesiastical law the state of a benefice having no incumbent
Other Word Forms
- nonavoidance noun
Etymology
Origin of avoidance
Explanation
The act of deliberately keeping yourself away from something is avoidance. Your avoidance of the outdoors this summer has left you very pale! Some types of avoidance make a lot of sense, like the avoidance of horror movies by someone who's easily frightened. Others are less healthy, like your avoidance of doing homework, which inevitably leads to a panic when you realize it's all due tomorrow. In law, avoidance means "making something nullified or void," the way failing to fulfill certain obligations can result in avoidance of a signed contract.
Vocabulary lists containing avoidance
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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"Living Like Weasels," Vocabulary from the essay
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Free Period
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Navy released an advisory Friday adding that the munitions situation is “not fully understood,” meaning that boats should “consider avoidance of that area” for now.
From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026
"Not putting the correct support in place for a young person can lead to severe mental health complications and emotionally-based school avoidance," he says.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
"The outlook reflects the resilience of global trade, buoyed by trade in high technology products and digitally delivered services, adaptations in supply chains and the avoidance of tit-for-tat retaliation on tariffs," Okonjo-Iweala said.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
The move departed from former Chief Executive Warren Buffett’s avoidance of share repurchases in recent quarters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
“I beg your pardon,” offered Edna, in some em-barrassment, for she should have remembered that Mademoiselle Reisz’s avoidance of the water had furnished a theme for much pleasantry.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
