elusive
Pronunciation: /ɪˈl(j)uːsɪv/
Translate elusive | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of elusive
adjective
Origin:
early 18th century: from Latin elus- 'eluded' (from the verb eludere) + -ive
Do not confuse elusive with illusive. Elusive means 'hard to find, catch, or achieve' (what I was looking for proved elusive), whereas illusive means 'not real, although seeming to be' (the illusive nature of the material world).