evitati

Evitati is the masculine plural past participle of the Italian verb evitare, meaning “avoided.” It also functions as an adjective in the masculine plural form. The related forms are evitato (masculine singular), evitata (feminine singular), ed evitate (feminine plural). As a participle, evitati is used in compound tenses with the auxiliary avere or essere depending on the verb’s transitivity, and it generally agrees in gender and number with a preceding direct object when the auxiliary is avere.

Etymology: evitare derives from Latin evitare, a compound formed with a prefix that conveys turning away or out from something, and a base meaning “way” or “path.” The exact classical derivation is sometimes described as ex- (out) plus via (way), though scholarly treatments note variations in the historical development of the term.

Usage: In everyday Italian, evitati can describe things that were prevented or sidestepped, as in “I rischi sono stati evitati” (The risks have been avoided). It can also modify nouns: “le soluzioni evitati errori” is nonstandard; correct forms are “soluzioni evitate” (fem. pl.) or “soluzioni evitarie” in other contexts. In phrases such as “evitare problemi” (to avoid problems), the verb is used in non-participial form, whereas the participle appears in passive or perfect tenses: “Abbiamo evitato i problemi” or “I problemi sono stati evitati.”

See also: evitare, evitazione (the noun meaning avoidance), evitante (avoiding).