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Preclude vs Elude - What's the difference?

preclude | elude |

In transitive terms the difference between preclude and elude

is that preclude is remove the possibility of; rule out; prevent or exclude; to make impossible while elude is to escape understanding of; to be incomprehensible to.

preclude

English

Alternative forms

* (obsolete)

Verb

(preclud)
  • Remove the possibility of; (l); prevent or exclude; to make (l).
  • It has been raining for days, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility that the skies will clear by this afternoon!
  • * {{quote-web
  • , date = 2013-08-09 , author = Douglas Main , title = Israel Outlaws Water Fluoridation , site = livescience , url = http://www.livescience.com/38796-israel-outlaws-water-fluoridation.html , accessdate = 2013-09-30 }}
    Israel's decision to ban fluoridation follows a vote to preclude the practice in Portland, Ore., and Wichita, Kan. It was also recently overturned in Hamilton, the fourth most populous city in New Zealand.

    Derived terms

    * precludable * preclusion * preclusive * preclusively

    elude

    English

    Verb

    (elud)
  • To evade, or escape from someone or something, especially by using cunning or skill.
  • * 1748 . David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 26.
  • Thus the observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it.
  • To shake off a pursuer; to give someone the slip.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=December 29 , author=Paul Doyle , title=Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=Podolski gave Walcott a chance to further embellish Arsenal's first-half performance when he eluded James Perch and slipped the ball through to the striker.}}
  • To escape understanding of; to be incomprehensible to.