Pronunciation: [ɪlˈuːsɪvnəs] (IPA) 
The word "elusiveness" is spelled with a silent 'e' between the 's' and the 'n', indicating that the 'u' is pronounced with a long 'u' sound. The phonetic transcription for this word is /ɪˈluːsɪvnəs/. The 'e' at the end of the word is pronounced with a short 'i' sound. The word refers to the quality of being difficult to grasp or capture. Its spelling can be challenging for English learners, but with practice, it can be mastered.
Elusiveness is a noun that refers to the quality or state of being elusive. Elusive, in turn, describes something or someone that is difficult to comprehend, attain, or capture. It is characterized by being elusive, evasive, slippery, or hard to pin down. The term is often used to describe intangible or abstract concepts rather than concrete objects.
The nature of elusiveness makes the subject challenging to grasp, understand, or define precisely. It implies a sense of often intentional ambiguity, ambiguity, or trickiness. Elusiveness can be observed in situations where attempts to attain or comprehend a particular goal, understanding, meaning, concept, or entity are met with constant evasiveness, indeterminacy, or deflection. It suggests the idea of something continually moving, changing, or shifting, such that it becomes difficult to hold onto or fully comprehend.
In philosophical and psychological contexts, elusiveness can refer to the elusive nature of truth, perception, consciousness, memory, or selfhood. It can also pertain to the challenging nature of defining certain abstract concepts, such as happiness, love, or justice, which may vary depending on individual perspectives or cultural contexts.
In summary, elusiveness refers to the quality of something or someone being difficult to comprehend, attain, or capture. It connotes a sense of slipperiness, evasiveness, or constant movement that makes it challenging to define, grasp, or fully understand.
The word "elusiveness" is derived from the adjective "elusive", which dates back to the late 16th century. "Elusive" is formed by adding the suffix "-ive" to the noun "elude". This noun comes from the Latin verb "eludere", which combines the prefix "e-" (meaning "out of" or "away") and "ludere" (meaning "to play"). "Eludere" originally meant "to deceive" or "to mock", but later evolved to mean "to escape" or "to evade". Over time, "elusive" came to describe something that is difficult to capture, define, or understand. Hence, "elusiveness" refers to the quality or state of being elusive.
