Dictionary

evolve en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈvɒlv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /-ˈvɔlv/ (General-American)
• /iˈ-/ (General-American)
• /ɪˈvɑlv/ (General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēvolvō (“unroll, unfold”), from ē- (“out of”) (short form of ex) + volvō (“roll”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To move (something) in regular procession through a system.
   • The animal soul sooner expands and evolves it self to its full orb and extent than the humane Soul a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC:
2. (transitive) To change or transform (something).
   • Over several years the author evolved the story originally drafted as a novella into a real epic.
3. (transitive) To cause (something) to come into being or develop.
   • You will remove the pig, place it in the car, and drive it to my house in Wiltshire. That is the plan I have evolved. 1939, P. G. Wodehouse, Uncle Fred in the Springtime:
   • […]I ask you, rather, to evolve a suitable plan with due deliberation and report it to me."¹⁴ 2005, Donald Keene, quoting Emperor Kōmei, Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His world, 1852–1912, New York: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, chapter 9, page 78:
   • The interpreter has spent a whole lot of time working the music before the performance, trying to evolve the most accurate translation possible. 1979 August 25, Vicki Gabriner, Susan Freundlich, “Bridging the Gaps between Deaf and Hearing Lesbians”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 6, page 8:
4. (of a population, qualifier:a species, transitive, usually) To acquire or develop (a trait) in the process of biological evolution.
   • Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy. 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, archived from the original on 03 Sep 2013:
   • How long ago did birds evolve beaks?
5. (intransitive, of a population, qualifier:a species, transitive, usually) To change genetic composition over successive generations through the process of evolution.
   • A hundred thousand years from now, will Homo sapiens have evolved into beings unrecognizable to their ancestors?
   • The ice age was nearly two million years old by the time the woolly mammoth evolved. 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 204:
   • There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved. 1859 November 24, Charles Darwin, “Recapitulation and Conclusion”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 490:
   • I like to envision a species of humanoids that, having evolved on the moon with one-sixth earth's gravity, are double our height but too spindly to play basketball. 1989 May, John Boslough, “Searching for the Secrets of Gravity”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, pages 578-579:
6. (transitive) To give off (a gas such as carbon dioxide or oxygen) during a chemical reaction.
   • to evolve odours
7. (obsolete, transitive) To wind or unwind (something).
   • And come, my Muſe! that lov'ſt the ſylvan ſhade, / Evolve the mazes, and the miſt diſpel; / Tranſlate the ſong; convince my doubting maid / No ſolemn Derviſe can explain ſo vvell— […] [1795], James Woodhouse, “[To William Shenstone, Esq. in His Sickness.] Elegy VI. To a Lady, on the Language of the Birds.”, in William Shenstone, The Poetical Works of William Shenstone. […], Cooke’s edition, London: […] C. Cooke, […], →OCLC, page 54, lines 9–12:
8. (intransitive) To move in regular procession through a system.
   • [T]he principles which Art involves, Science alone evolves. 1840, William Whewell, “Of Art and Science”, in The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded upon Their History. […], volume II, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […]; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: J. and J. J. Deighton, →OCLC, part II (Of Knowledge), book XI (Of the Construction of Science), paragraph 6, page 275:
   • Not by any power evolved from man's own resources, but by a power which descended from above. 1870, John Shairp, Culture and Religion:
9. (intransitive) To change, to transform.
   • An aide of Shah told Reuters that Shah had an early penchant for poetry that evolved into an affinity for rap music. 2026 March 11, Chad de Guzman, “Who Is Balendra Shah, the Rapper On Track to Become Nepal’s Next Prime Minister”, in TIME, archived from the original on 11 Mar 2026:
   • What began as a few lines of code has now evolved into a million-line behemoth.
10. (intransitive) Of a trait; to develop within a population through biological evolution.
    • How long ago did beaks evolve?

Forms

Deriveds

reevolve · evolvability · photoevolve · evolvingly · coevolve · co-evolve · microevolve · nonevolving

Relateds

evolution · evolvement · evolver · evolute · evolvable · evolutive

Synonyms

transfigurate · progress · evolve · transform · generate · develop · form · bring forth · reconvert · develop · metamorphize · ferment · develop · transume · generate · create · transmute · forge · draw · cause · innate · engender · transfigure · spawn · gin up · shift · contrive · make · metamorphose · convert · evolve · contrive · produce · forthbring · develop · transmogrify

Translations (75)

sh еволви́рати (move in regular procession through a system) · sh evolvírati (move in regular procession through a system) · ru развива́ться (come into being; develop) · ca evolucionar (to change, to transform) · ru преобразовываться (to change, to transform) · nl evolueren (change genetic composition) · bg развивам се (come into being; develop) · ru испуска́ть (to give off (a gas)) · uk розвива́тися (change genetic composition) · gl evolucionar (change genetic composition) · pt crescer (move in regular procession through a system) · ru испусти́ть (to give off (a gas)) · pt evoluir (change genetic composition) · eo evolui (to change, to transform) · tl sumunlad (move in regular procession through a system) · uk розви́нутись (change genetic composition) · fi kehittyä (change genetic composition) · ru преобразоваться (to change, to transform) · mi whanake (come into being; develop) · pt progredir (move in regular procession through a system) · bg отделям (to give off (a gas)) · ro a evolua (move in regular procession through a system) · ca desenvolupar (come into being; develop) · de entwickeln (come into being; develop) · de andauern (move in regular procession through a system) · fi erittää (to give off (a gas)) · mi kukuwhata (move in regular procession through a system) · de fortdauern (move in regular procession through a system) · pt evolucionar (change genetic composition) · ru разви́ться (come into being; develop) · sh еволуи́рати (move in regular procession through a system) · ca progressar (move in regular procession through a system) · uk розвива́тися (change genetic composition) · bg еволюи́рам (move in regular procession through a system) · et arenema (move in regular procession through a system) · ru выделя́ть (to give off (a gas)) · ru эволюциони́ровать (change genetic composition) · cs vyvíjet se (move in regular procession through a system) · fi kehittyä (move in regular procession through a system) · bg напре́двам (move in regular procession through a system) · ka განვითარება (come into being; develop) · fi muuttua (to change, to transform) · cs vyvinout (come into being; develop) · nl ontwikkelen (come into being; develop) · ru развива́ться (change genetic composition) · sh evoluírati (move in regular procession through a system) · es evolucionar (change genetic composition) · ru вы́делить (to give off (a gas)) · fi kehittyä (to change, to transform) · ru разви́ться (move in regular procession through a system) · de freisetzen (to give off (a gas)) · es evolucionar (move in regular procession through a system) · es desarrollar (come into being; develop) · fr élaborer (come into being; develop) · pt evoluir (move in regular procession through a system) · ro evolua (change genetic composition) · pt desenvolver (come into being; develop) · uk еволюціонува́ти (change genetic composition) · ru развива́ться (move in regular procession through a system) · la ēvolvō (move in regular procession through a system) · ca evolucionar (change genetic composition) · ko 발전하다 (move in regular procession through a system) · oc evolucionar (change genetic composition) · ru разви́ться (change genetic composition) · ko 진화하다 (change genetic composition) · fr évoluer (move in regular procession through a system) · es progresar (move in regular procession through a system) · uk розви́нутися (move in regular procession through a system) · fi kehittää (come into being; develop) · uk розвива́тися (move in regular procession through a system) · de verändern (to change, to transform) · pt elaborar (come into being; develop) · pl ewoluować (change genetic composition) · uk розви́нутись (move in regular procession through a system) · fr progresser (move in regular procession through a system)