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

It has also acknowledged that "the risk of circumvention cannot be entirely eliminated", and some children would succeed in bypassing the age checks.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

German fans have long criticised Red Bull for its multi-club model and effective circumvention of the much-loved 50+1 rule, which guarantees supporter voting rights at German clubs.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Yet most will only remember that Leonard’s tenure in the City of Angels netted zero Larry O’Brien trophies and instead plenty of load management and one ongoing salary cap circumvention investigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

The EU will also be on the lookout for circumvention, as well as any effort to reroute small parcels to the bloc via countries like Switzerland.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Often, indeed, the nature of the ground will preclude such attempts, and the experience of 1870-1871 should suffice to show how rarely such a circumvention can hope to succeed.

From Cavalry in Future Wars by Charles Sydney Goldman

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