Avoidance

·noun The act of annulling; annulment.

II. Avoidance ·noun The courts by which anything is carried off.

III. Avoidance ·noun A dismissing or a quitting; removal; withdrawal.

IV. Avoidance ·noun The act of avoiding or shunning; keeping clear of.

V. Avoidance ·noun The act of becoming vacant, or the state of being vacant;

— specifically used for the state of a benefice becoming void by the death, deprivation, or resignation of the incumbent.