circumvention

American  

[sur-kuhm-ven-shuhn] / ˌsɜr kəmˈvɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act of bypassing or going around something.

   Taking the northern route, to allow circumvention of the mountains, made the journey twice as long.

2. the act of avoiding, evading, or forestalling something, often by cleverness or deception.

   Thorough consultation before implementing an innovation allows for the circumvention of potential risks.

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Etymology

Origin of circumvention

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin circumventiōn-, stem of circumventiō “a coming around, surrounding; oppression,” equivalent to circumvent ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

circumvention

The Clippers’ offseason was engulfed by the NBA’s salary-cap circumvention investigation into the team’s endorsement deals with Kawhi Leonard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The punishments come after the NBA said its month-long investigation "found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organisation, a prior offender of the salary-cap circumvention rules".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Salary-cap circumvention first surfaced with Leonard during his free agency in 2019 after he led the Raptors to the NBA championship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

That circumvention of Iran’s control has irked domestic critics of the preliminary peace deal with the U.S., which primarily aimed to reopen the strait and take pressure off oil prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Without further circumvention he went to the safe, and examined it.

From Rolling Stones by O. Henry

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