evasiveness

Definitions

The quality of being indirect, vague, or elusive in speech or behavior.

The act of avoiding commitment, answering questions directly, or escaping a situation.

Examples

The politician's evasiveness during the interview frustrated the journalists who were seeking a direct answer.

Her constant evasiveness regarding her whereabouts made her friends suspicious of her true intentions.

The witness's evasiveness on the stand led the judge to question the credibility of his entire testimony.

Synonyms

elusiveness ambiguity equivocation prevarication shuffling vagueness indirectness

Antonyms

directness frankness candor straightforwardness honesty clarity openness