avoidance
B2Formal to neutral. Common in academic, business, legal, and psychological contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The act of staying away from or preventing something undesirable from happening.
A conscious strategy or pattern of behavior to evade confrontation, responsibility, or unwanted situations; in psychology, a coping mechanism; in law, the act of making something legally void.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies deliberate effort or strategy. Often carries a negative connotation of evasiveness or failure to address an issue directly.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'Tax avoidance' is a legal technical term in both; 'avoidance behaviour' is more common in UK clinical psychology texts.
Connotations
Slightly more negative connotation in everyday British English (e.g., 'he's just avoiding me'). In American business/legal contexts, can be neutral (e.g., 'risk avoidance strategy').
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American legal and corporate discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
avoidance of + NOUNavoidance + NOUN (as modifier)in avoidance ofVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (related concept)”
- “To give someone/something a wide berth”
- “To beat around the bush (verbal avoidance)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to strategies to minimize financial or operational risks (e.g., 'Our avoidance of volatile markets paid off.').
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, and law to describe patterns of behavior or legal principles (e.g., 'The study measured conflict avoidance in group dynamics.').
Everyday
Describes personal actions to escape uncomfortable situations (e.g., 'His avoidance of the topic was obvious.').
Technical
In aviation: 'ground avoidance radar'; in psychology: 'experiential avoidance'; in law: 'avoidance of a contract'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The company seeks to avoid unnecessary litigation.
- He avoided answering the question directly.
American English
- The software helps avoid costly errors.
- She avoided the pothole just in time.
adverb
British English
- He answered avoidantly, without making eye contact.
- The policy was designed avoidantly.
American English
- She behaved avoidantly during the meeting.
- The system functions avoidantly to prevent overload.
adjective
British English
- He has an avoidant personality.
- The avoidance tactic proved unsuccessful.
American English
- Avoidance behavior is a common symptom.
- They took an avoidance-focused approach.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Avoidance of junk food is good for your health.
- Her avoidance of dogs started after she was bitten.
- The government announced new measures for tax avoidance.
- His constant avoidance of responsibility annoyed the team.
- A strategy of conflict avoidance may lead to unresolved tensions.
- The legal doctrine of 'fraudulent avoidance' was discussed in court.
- The patient's experiential avoidance was identified as a key factor maintaining the anxiety disorder.
- The treaty included clauses for the avoidance of double taxation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of AVOID + ANCE. 'ANCE' often turns verbs into nouns (like 'perform' -> 'performance'). So, 'avoidance' is the *noun* for the *act* of avoiding.
Conceptual Metaphor
AVOIDANCE IS A PATH/ROUTE (e.g., 'a path of least resistance', 'circuitous route'); AVOIDANCE IS A SHIELD/BARRIER (e.g., 'a wall of avoidance').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'избежание' (correct) and 'уклонение' (which is more 'evasion' and can have a stronger negative/illegal connotation). 'Avoidance' is broader.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'avoidment' (non-existent word).
- Confusing 'avoidance' (action/state) with 'aversion' (strong dislike).
- Overusing in place of simpler words like 'not doing' or 'staying away from'.
Practice
Quiz
In a psychological context, 'avoidance' primarily refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, tax avoidance is the legal use of rules to minimise tax. It is distinct from 'tax evasion', which is illegal.
'Avoidance' is about staying away from or not engaging with a threat/problem. 'Prevention' is about stopping the threat/problem from occurring at all.
Yes, in contexts like 'risk avoidance' or 'harm avoidance', it is a prudent and positive strategy. It often becomes negative in interpersonal or emotional contexts (e.g., 'avoidance of issues').
It is a noun. The verb is 'avoid', and the adjective is 'avoidant'.
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