elusion
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of elusion
First recorded in 1540–50; from Late Latin ēlūsiōn- (stem of ēlūsiō ) “deception, evasion,” equivalent to ēlūs(us), past participle of ēlūdere “to elude ” ( ē- e- 1 + lūd- “play” + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Elusion is the act of successfully hiding or escaping from someone. Your cat's elusion makes it hard to find her when it's time to take her to the vet. When you avoid being found or caught, that's elusion. Playing hide and seek is all about elusion, as is being a successful prison escapee. Any situation that involves a person cleverly evading detection or capture can be described as elusion, though it's much more common to hear the verb elude, which came first. Its original meaning was "delude or make a fool of," from a Latin root, eludere, "escape from or make a fool of."
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.
We’re left to draw our own conclusions about that period, especially as the present-day Andrésen looks back on it here with more innuendo and elusion than frank remembrance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2021
By the end of the story, we understand that this silence, this elusion will not stand.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2017
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, on the opposing sideline Saturday to see Coleman’s nifty elusion and three touchdowns, was more direct in his assessment.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 21, 2015
Yet it almost seems that they went out of their way to make the elusion mutual.
From Time Magazine Archive
Its commander, Lieutenant Duddington, took an active delight in his duty which brought him into perpetual antagonism with a people who regarded elusion of the revenue laws as their privilege and prerogative.
From A History of the Four Georges and of William IV, Volume III by McCarthy, Justin
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.
