Avoidance
/əˈvɔɪdəns/
nounIntermediateCommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
The act of deliberately staying away from something or someone; preventing something from happening.
/əˈvɔɪdəns/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
The act of preventing something from happening.
The avoidance of conflict is not always the best strategy.
💡 Simply: Staying away from something.
More Examples
2
She practiced avoidance techniques to manage her anxiety.
How It's Used
Psychology
"His avoidance of eye contact suggested nervousness."
Law
"Tax avoidance schemes are often illegal."
Idioms & expressions
tax avoidance
Legal methods used to reduce tax liability.
"Aggressive tax avoidance strategies are being scrutinized by the IRS."
From Old French *avoider (to avoid) + -ance. The root traces back to Latin *vitare (to shun).
The word 'avoidance' has seen consistent use since the 16th century, primarily in legal and philosophical contexts.
Memory tip
Think of 'avoid' + '-ance' (the state of avoiding).
Practice
aviodanceavodienceavoidence
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written