devolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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devolves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
devolved,
past participle, past
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devolving
present participle
-
to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.
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Obsolete. to cause to roll downward.
verb (used without object)
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devolves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
devolved,
past participle, past
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devolving
present participle
-
to be transferred or passed on from one to another.
The responsibility devolved on me.
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Archaic. to roll or flow downward.
verb
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to pass or cause to pass to a successor or substitute, as duties, power, etc
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(intr; foll by on or upon) law (of an estate, etc) to pass to another by operation of law, esp on intestacy or bankruptcy
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to depend (on)
your argument devolves on how you interpret this clause
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archaic to roll down or cause to roll down
Usage
What does devolve mean? To devolve means to transfer or pass on from one to another, as in The discussion about world economics devolved into talking about who earns more money. To devolve also means to delegate or pass on responsibility to another, as in When the governor stepped down from office, his duties devolved to the lieutenant governor. Example: I usually devolve my weekly writeup to my assistant.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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devolvesimple
-
devolvessimple
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have devolvedperfect
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has devolvedperfect
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am devolvingprogressive
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are devolvingprogressive
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is devolvingprogressive
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have been devolvingperfect progressive
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has been devolvingperfect progressive
Past
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devolvedsimple
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had devolvedperfect
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was devolvingprogressive
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were devolvingprogressive
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had been devolvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of devolve
1375–1425; late Middle English devolven < Latin dēvolvere to roll down, equivalent to dē- de- + volvere to roll
Explanation
You've probably heard that organisms evolve over time. Well, life is complicated, and sometimes things devolve instead — to devolve is to get worse instead of better. The de- in devolve is a clue to its meaning. When things devolve, they deteriorate, degenerate, fall apart, go to the dogs, and generally end up worse. When a classroom gets loud and rowdy, a teacher might say the class has devolved. There is another, less negative, meaning of devolve. You can devolve responsibilities: for example, the U.S. government could devolve a certain responsibility to the states. The non-negative meaning of devolve is kind of like passing things on in a will. If I devolve something to you, you inherit it.
Vocabulary lists containing devolve
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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:
He is expected to travel to the central belt to discuss plans to devolve power to local communities.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
After Sasaki gave up a solo home run to Matt Olson in the first inning, the outing began to devolve in the fourth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Little did they know it would turn into a four-year saga that would cost them tens of thousands of dollars and devolve into a legal battle between their insurance company and the contractor’s.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
Two other officials familiar with the dinner said it was very cordial and their leaders breathed a major sigh of relief after it was over that it didn’t devolve into a shouting match.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The arguments over Bailey’s future began early and occur frequently, though at this point they often devolve into repetitive phrases and tense silences.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Mrs. Irani’s advice is well-meaning and even inspirational, but sometimes she devolves into cliché and therapy-speak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
It is a shame this strong film devolves when it could have just ended.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2024
Here’s the key: What begins as a straightforward questioning of ship pilot John Blackthorne devolves into chaos as the foreigner challenges the priest translating for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2024
The hope continues to be that the job market slows its growth but not by so much that it devolves into widespread layoffs.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
As the line devolves into a great milling mob, I slip away.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
What is really the world’s oldest profession has devolved from pitching ethical monotheism to getting free merch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
By 2013, then-Macy’s Plaza had devolved into a dated, downscale relic that got little love despite its location near offices, hotels and a busy subway interchanget.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The delivery of mobile infrastructure projects often overlaps with devolved powers, such as planning.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
That question of the devolved funding settlement is expected to be discussed, alongside other ways of working together in areas such as the economy and energy.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
His dates with Joyce devolved into bleak meetings in the cafeteria, where they mixed catsup with hot water and called it tomato soup and rounded out the meal with soda crackers.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
He has previously said his time as Greater Manchester mayor had given him "a clear theory of growth" stressing his belief in the importance of devolving powers to local areas.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
That case wouldn’t just go down as one of the most shameful moments in the court’s history; it was also the legal system’s most significant contribution in devolving the country into the Civil War.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
The social media-savvy veteran politician, dubbed the "King of the North", has put devolving power to regions outside London at the top of his agenda.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
How has a band that’s been together for more than 50 years managed to remain a creative force without burning out, splitting up or devolving into little more than a human jukebox pumping out nostalgia?
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
In the opinion of the seventeenth century, the man was inseparable from the sovereign, and France was deeply impressed with the universal importance of Louis XIV. and by consequence of the obligations devolving upon him.
From Louis XIV and La Grande Mademoiselle 1652-1693 by Arvede Barine
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