verb

éviter

avoid

C’est faire en sorte de ne pas rencontrer un problème ou de ne pas faire quelque chose.

Éviter is a French verb meaning "to avoid" or "to prevent". It comes from the Latin vitare, meaning "to shun" or "to avoid."

Meaning and Usage:

To avoid: To keep away or steer clear of someone or something physically or mentally.
- Example: Il a évité le piège. — He avoided the trap.
To prevent: To take action to stop something from happening.
- Example: Elle a évité un accident. — She prevented an accident.

Parts of the word:

é-: a prefix here that often corresponds to the Latin perfect tense or past participle form.
viter: root, related to "to avoid" or "to shun."

Synonyms:

Fuir (to flee, to run away from)
Esquiver (to dodge)
Prévenir (to warn or prevent in some contexts)
Se dérober (to dodge, to avoid responsibility)

Antonyms:

Affronter (to face)
Confronter (to confront)
Rencontrer (to meet or encounter)

Summary:

The verb éviter is commonly used in everyday French when referring to avoiding dangers, situations, people, or events, either physically or figuratively. It is a regular -er verb, conjugated in patterns typical of French verbs ending in -er.