evasion
n. C / Un. the act of avoiding something you are supposed to do, like paying taxes or answering a question. It often means being clever or dishonest to escape a duty.
n. the act of avoiding or escaping something through deceit or cleverness. Frequently refers to the illegal non-payment of taxes or the avoidance of direct answers in discourse.
He was arrested for tax evasion.
The politician's constant evasion of the reporter's questions made the audience suspicious of his motives.
The company's complex network of offshore accounts was designed for the sole purpose of tax evasion, leading to a massive federal investigation.
From Middle French évasion, from Late Latin evasionem (accusative of evasio).
Uncountable when referring to the general practice; countable when referring to specific instances of avoiding something.
tax avoidancetax evasionIn legal contexts, 'avoidance' is the legal use of the regime to one's advantage, whereas 'evasion' is the illegal non-payment of taxes.