Dictionary

devolve en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /dɪˈvɑlv/ (General-American)
• /-ˈvɔlv/ (General-American)
• /dɪˈvɒɫv/ (UK)
• /diˈ-/ (General-American)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *welH-der. Proto-Italic *wolwō Latin volvō Latin dēvolvōbor. English devolve Borrowed from Latin dēvolvō (“roll or tumble off or down”), from dē- + volvō (“roll”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To be inherited by someone else; to pass down upon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.
   • an accident […] rendered him permanently lame, and therefore unfitted him, in the opinion of his parents, to inherit his father's many titles, which, it was then arranged, should devolve upon his younger brother. 1932, Duff Cooper, Talleyrand, Folio Society, published 2010, page 4:
2. (transitive) To delegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.) on or upon someone.
   • Near-synonyms: pass down, pass on, hand down
3. (especially, of a central government to a local one, qualifier:a federal one to a federated one, transitive, usually) To delegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.) on or upon someone. ▸ To transfer authority and responsibility for (something) to (another entity).
   • Despite being a unitary state, the Government of the United Kingdom devolved many matters to the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
   • An artful man became popular, the people had power in their hands, and they devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favourite […]. 1756, Edmund Burke, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful:
   • They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty. 1704, Joseph Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy:
   • Shapps retains responsibility for rail safety in Scotland, with only the operation of track and train devolved to Transport Scotland. 2020 August 26, “Network News: Shapps orders rapid review of flash flood resilience from NR”, in Rail, page 8:
4. (intransitive) To fall as a duty or responsibility on or upon someone.
   • For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainly devolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned. , Episode 16
5. (especially, intransitive, of government authority) To fall as a duty or responsibility on or upon someone. ▸ To shift or to be transferred from a central government to a local one, a federal one to a federated one, etc.
   • Many legislative powers devolved to the new Scottish parliament in 1999.
6. (intransitive) To degenerate; to break down.
   • A discussion about politics may devolve into a shouting match.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To roll (something) down; to unroll.
   • every headlong stream / Devolves its winding waters to the main. 1744, Mark Akenside, The Pleasures of the Imagination, section II:
   • He spake of virtue […] And with […] a lack-lustre dead-blue eye, Devolved his rounded periods. 1830, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Character:
   • Near-synonyms: unwind, unfurl

Forms

Antonyms

evolve · improve

Coordinates

worsen · revolve · disintegrate · deform · rotate · befall · befall

Deriveds

redevolve · undevolved · devolvee · devolvement · devolvable

Relateds

devolution

Synonyms

degenerate · pass down · crack · go left · pass down · suffer · wither · go pear-shaped · go south · wither away · tabefy · go bad · go wrong · retrograde · pass down · worsen · atrophy · go to the dogs · decline · break down · pass on · sweal · go off · lapse · molder · devolve · wanse · hand down · hand down · wane · go downhill · go sideways · deteriorate · shrivel · unfurl · go to hell · roll down · confound · go to pot · go to seed · unwind · fade · pejorate · pass on · fall off · spend · deteriorate

Translations (17)

es delegar (to delegate something to someone else) · cs přejít (na koho) (to be inherited by someone) · ka გადასცემს (to delegate something to someone else) · ru переходи́ть (to be inherited by someone) · ru передава́ть (to delegate something to someone else) · pl przekazać (to delegate something to someone else) · pl przenieść (to delegate something to someone else) · de übergeben (to delegate something to someone else) · bg предавам (to delegate something to someone else) · cs přenést (to delegate something to someone else) · bg прехвърлям (to delegate something to someone else) · sco devolve (to delegate something to someone else) · bg пада се на (to be inherited by someone) · sv urarta (to degenerate) · es involucionar (to degenerate) · es desvolucionar (to degenerate) · cs převést (to delegate something to someone else)