# EVA

/ˈeɪvə/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/eva
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. spacewalk

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

Stands for extravehicular activity. It is the technical name for when an astronaut goes outside their spacecraft in space.

For teachers: Abbreviation for extravehicular activity. A task or maneuver performed by an astronaut outside a spacecraft, commonly referred to as a spacewalk.

- The astronauts prepared for a six-hour EVA to repair the satellite's solar panels.
- During the unscheduled EVA, the crew successfully replaced the faulty telemetry unit while maintaining constant communication with mission control.

Usage: Usually treated as a countable noun in aerospace contexts.

### 2. business profit

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

Stands for economic value added. It is a way for companies to measure how much real profit they made after paying all their costs.

For teachers: Abbreviation for economic value added. A financial performance metric that calculates the value a company generates in excess of its cost of capital.

- The manager explained that the company's EVA had improved significantly this year.
- The board of directors decided to link executive bonuses to EVA targets to ensure long-term shareholder value creation.

Usage: Typically used as an uncountable noun in financial reporting.

### 3. type of plastic

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for ethylene-vinyl acetate. It is a soft, flexible plastic often used to make the foam in shoes or yoga mats.

For teachers: Abbreviation for ethylene-vinyl acetate. A copolymer used in the manufacturing of flexible foam, adhesives, and footwear midsoles.

- These running shoes have a thick layer of EVA foam for extra comfort.
- The manufacturer opted for EVA due to its superior stress-crack resistance and high-clarity properties compared to standard polyethylene.

Usage: Often used as a modifier before another noun, such as 'EVA foam' or 'EVA soles'.

## Examples

- The company reported a positive EVA for the third year in a row.
- Management focused on improving the EVA by reducing unnecessary capital expenditures and increasing operational efficiency.
- While traditional net income appeared healthy, the firm's negative EVA revealed that it was actually destroying shareholder value by failing to cover its weighted average cost of capital.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.