evasive answer

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evasive answer

The lawyer objected to the witness's evasive answer.

Definition

Noun: 1. A response that intentionally avoids giving a direct, clear, or honest reply: An evasive answer is one that is deliberately vague, ambiguous, or misleading, designed to sidestep the question or issue rather than address it squarely. 2. (Law) A defendant's formal response that fails to specifically admit or deny the allegations in a complaint: In a legal context, it is a pleading that does not meet the requirement to directly respond to each point of the plaintiff's claim, often treated as an admission.

Usage
  • This term is used to describe uncooperative, indirect, or deceptive communication.
  • It implies an intention to conceal information, avoid commitment, or escape responsibility.
  • In legal settings, it refers to a specific type of inadequate formal response.
Examples
  • General Usage:
    • When asked about the missing funds, the manager gave an evasive answer, talking about general budget challenges instead.
    • Politicians are often criticized for providing evasive answers during press conferences.
  • Legal Usage:
    • The court may strike an evasive answer from the pleadings and treat the allegation as admitted.
Advanced Usage
  • "To plead an evasive answer": In law, to file a response that is legally insufficient because it avoids the substance of the allegation.
    • The plaintiff's attorney moved to compel a more definitive statement, arguing the defendant had pleaded an evasive answer.
Variants and Related Words
  • Evasive (adj): Tending or intended to evade; not straightforward.
    • His evasive manner made the investigators suspicious.
  • Evasiveness (n): The quality of being evasive.
    • The witness's evasiveness was noted by the jury.
Synonyms
  • Non-answer: A reply that does not constitute a proper answer.
  • Dodge: An act of avoiding something, such as a question.
  • Equivocation: The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid commitment.
Antonyms
  • Direct answer: A straightforward and clear response.
  • Candid reply: An open and honest answer.
  • Admission: A statement acknowledging the truth of an allegation.
Related Phrases
  • To be evasive: To avoid giving direct answers.
    • Stop being evasive and tell me what really happened.
  • To dodge the question: To avoid answering a question directly.
    • The CEO dodged the question about potential layoffs.
evasive answer

The lawyer objected to the witness's evasive answer.

Noun
  1. (law) an answer by a defendant that fails to admit or deny the allegations set forth in the complaint