devolution
Americannoun
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devolutions
plural
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the act or fact of devolving; passage onward from stage to stage.
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the passing on to a successor of an unexercised right.
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Law. the passing of property from one to another, as by hereditary succession.
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Biology. degeneration.
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the transfer of power or authority from a central government to a local government.
noun
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the act, fact, or result of devolving
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a passing onwards or downwards from one stage to another
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another word for degeneration
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a transfer or allocation of authority, esp from a central government to regional governments or particular interests
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of devolution
1535–45; (< Middle French ) < Medieval Latin dēvolūtiōn- (stem of dēvolūtiō ) a rolling down, equivalent to Latin dēvolūt ( us ) rolled down (past participle of dēvolvere; see devolve) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Devolution is a process of decline. Something has gone from great to good, good to bad, or excellent all the way to horrible. If you know that evolution refers to how smaller or lesser creatures evolved into more complex beings, then you have a great clue to what devolution means. When devolution occurs, things have gone in a negative direction. If a rich person loses all their money, that's devolution. If a championship basketball team suddenly has a losing record, that's devolution. This word also refers to a central government delegating authority to a smaller body, such as a regional government.
Vocabulary lists containing devolution
Human Geography - High School
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Political Geography - High School
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Burnham appeared to have accepted the county's concerns, telling the House of Commons his government would work with Cornwall Council and its six MPs on a devolution deal "with or without an elected mayor".
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
The Treasury is focused on creating a Budget that will not spook financial markets, with a senior source insisting the core themes of Healey's plans would be "fiscal discipline" and "fiscal devolution".
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Burnham also said that Wales and Scotland should both consider ways to deepen devolution by following England's model of giving more powers to cities and regions.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
"It's not because of any policy disagreements. I'm a massive fan of the focus on devolution and I hope Andy and his team will be bold on this and everything else."
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
It embodied devolution on a large scale, but entirely confined to administration.
From The New Irish Constitution by J. H. Morgan
"Oh," said Mrs. Germain, absorbed by the devolutions of the tale.
From Rest Harrow A Comedy of Resolution by Maurice Henry Hewlett
It did, however, mean an increasing pressure on the government for fresh devolutions of authority.
From The New World of Islam by Lothrop Stoddard
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
