Elusive \E*lu"sive\, a. Tending to elude; using arts or deception to escape; adroitly escaping or evading; eluding the grasp; fallacious. Elusive of the bridal day, she gives Fond hopes to all, and all with hopes deceives. --Pope. -- {E*lu"sive*ly}, adv. -- {E*lu"sive*ness}, n.
elusiveness n : the quality of being difficult to grasp or pin down; "the author's elusiveness may at times be construed as evasiveness"