Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of shunning or avoiding.
  • noun Law An annulment.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The custom which forbids one member of a family to meet or address another member. This custom is found among many primitive tribes, and relates most frequently to a man and his mother-in-law.
  • noun The act of annulling or making void; annulment.
  • noun The act of becoming, or the state of being, vacant; especially, the state of a benefice when it becomes void by death, deprivation, resignation, or preferment of the incumbent; vacancy.
  • noun The act of avoiding or shunning anything disagreeable or unwelcome.
  • noun A retiring from or leaving a place.
  • noun An emptying out; that by which a fluid is carried off; an outlet.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of annulling; annulment.
  • noun The act of becoming vacant, or the state of being vacant; -- specifically used for the state of a benefice becoming void by the death, deprivation, or resignation of the incumbent.
  • noun A dismissing or a quitting; removal; withdrawal.
  • noun The act of avoiding or shunning; keeping clear of.
  • noun The courts by which anything is carried off.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act of annulling; annulment.
  • noun The act of becoming vacant, or the state of being vacant; – specifically used for the state of a benefice becoming void by the death, deprivation, or resignation of the incumbent.
  • noun A dismissing or a quitting; removal; withdrawal.
  • noun The act of avoiding or shunning; keeping clear of.
  • noun Any thing that is to be avoided
  • noun The courts by which anything is carried off.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun deliberately avoiding; keeping away from or preventing from happening

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English

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Examples

  • I wonder if maybe my tactic in avoidance is what’s keeping me from being hired somewhere, no matter how much passion or persuasion and good writing I put into my cover letter.

    Avoidance. « 2009

  • And yes, de Cock says that avoidance is a key strategy esp for those who lack phrasal verbs in L1 (eg Spanish, French she says) while others who do have them (eg Dutch, German) do not seem to avoid them.

    P is for Phrasal Verb « An A-Z of ELT 2010

  • Perhaps avoidance is both a problem and a strategy.

    P is for Phrasal Verb « An A-Z of ELT 2010

  • If total avoidance is impossible, make plans to come as close as you can to the goal of total avoidance.

    An Interview with Martha Stout 2010

  • The problem with this attitude of avoidance is that it is antagonist behavior ... not protagonist behavior.

    Yet another Doctor Who Post about the Pony! rabid1st 2009

  • * You do not get bonus points for avoiding geisha and porcelain doll references; that avoidance is elementary civilized behavior.

    Barnstorming on an Invisible Segway timprov 2008

  • "I think these unique individuals either have genetic profiles that are exceptionally well suited for long-term avoidance of chronic, age-related problems, or have been raised and lived in conditions offered by the upper class, including optimal childhood nutrition and, subsequently, physical development, followed by optimal conditions for health promotion and maintenance, including opportunities for intellectual engagement," opines Ross Andel, an associate professor in the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida.

    Tycoons Still Working It Past 90 2010

  • With the specter of Federal and state prosecution hanging over your head avoidance is the best bear policy in most places now!

    ... 2008

  • I think, psychologically speaking, this is known as avoidance.

    Claim to Fame Margaret Peterson Haddix 2009

  • I think, psychologically speaking, this is known as avoidance.

    Claim to Fame Margaret Peterson Haddix 2009

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