EVASIVE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does evasive mean? 

• EVASIVE (adjective)
  The adjective EVASIVE has 2 senses:

1. deliberately vague or ambiguous

2. avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger especially enemy fire

  Familiarity information: EVASIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EVASIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deliberately vague or ambiguous

Context example:

an evasive statement

Similar:

ambiguous; equivocal (open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead)

Derivation:

evade (practice evasion)

evasiveness (intentionally vague or ambiguous)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger especially enemy fire

Context example:

pilots are taught to take evasive action

Similar:

protective (intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind)

 Context examples 

An evasive answer and a request for more of his work was all he received.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

That is no answer; or rather it is a very irritating, because a very evasive one.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The answer was evasive.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Rhyme and metre and structure were serious enough in themselves, but there was, over and beyond them, an intangible and evasive something that he caught in all great poetry, but which he could not catch and imprison in his own.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)