evolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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evolves,
present (3rd person singular)
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evolved,
past participle, past
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evolving
present participle
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to develop gradually.
to evolve a scheme.
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to give off or emit, as odors or vapors.
verb (used without object)
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evolves,
present (3rd person singular)
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evolved,
past participle, past
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evolving
present participle
-
to come forth gradually into being; develop; undergo evolution.
The whole idea evolved from a casual remark.
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to gradually change one's opinions or beliefs.
candidates who are still evolving on the issue;
an evolved feminist mom.
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Biology. to develop by a process of evolution to a different adaptive state or condition.
The human species evolved from an ancestor that was probably arboreal.
verb
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to develop or cause to develop gradually
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(intr) (of animal or plant species) to undergo evolution
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(tr) to yield, emit, or give off (heat, gas, vapour, etc)
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To undergo biological evolution, as in the development of new species or new traits within a species.
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To develop a characteristic through the process of evolution.
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To undergo change and development, as the structures of the universe.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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evolvementnoun
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evolvernoun
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evolvableadjective
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nonevolvingadjective
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self-evolvedadjective
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self-evolvingadjective
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unevolvedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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evolvesimple
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evolvessimple
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have evolvedperfect
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has evolvedperfect
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am evolvingprogressive
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are evolvingprogressive
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is evolvingprogressive
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have been evolvingperfect progressive
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has been evolvingperfect progressive
Past
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evolvedsimple
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had evolvedperfect
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was evolvingprogressive
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were evolvingprogressive
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had been evolvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of evolve
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin ēvolvere “to unroll, open, unfold,” equivalent to ē- e- 1 + volvere “to roll, turn”
Explanation
When something evolves, it changes, or develops over time, like your taste in music and clothes, which evolve as you get older. Evolve comes from the Latin word evolvere, "to unroll" — the perfect image to keep in mind when thinking of this verb. When something is unrolling or unraveling, it is doing so gradually, not all at once. Evolve describes a development that is taking its time to reach its final destination. Think change with a speed limit. Your taste in music evolved from the nursery rhymes you loved as a little kid to whatever you like today. Even places can evolve, like the old-fashioned coffee shops that evolved into Internet cafés as people began to bring their laptops with them.
Vocabulary lists containing evolve
ACT Vocabulary List
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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50 Great Words from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
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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:
“The movement can evolve, but you need those voters to come out and vote.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
These exceptions show that some crocodile relatives could evolve to handle different climates, even though most continued to follow their preferred warm conditions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
In the letter, to the watchdog's chief executive Melanie Dawes and director for Scotland Glenn Preston, McAllan said she understood that broadcasters must adapt to evolve with audience habits.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Experts say Jio is key to Reliance's strategy to evolve beyond its traditional oil business and the touchstone of its future tech ambitions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Yet long before Columbus arrived, that wild grass had managed to evolve into maize and spread across North America.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
What’s more, information technology evolves more quickly than hydrocarbons to get around shortages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
If the universe naturally evolves away from the behavior predicted by these conventional models, its accelerating expansion might not require a separate form of energy to explain it.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
It might allow scientists to measure how the pair's orbit evolves and determine whether the black holes are approaching their final merger.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Some find success sweet but fleeting, others spend years building to the pinnacle, and then there are those whose lasting glory evolves into a dynasty.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
In the second stage a former animal pathogen evolves to the point where it does get transmitted directly between people and causes epidemics.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
What began as a chance to travel soon evolved into something more meaningful.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
As research continues, this location may become key to understanding how societies in the Maghreb evolved from early farming communities to the medieval rural world.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
Once associated with secretive romances and hurried ceremonies, elopements have evolved into destination weddings set against spectacular backdrops.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
But Chavez and Huerta’s National Farm Workers Association, which eventually evolved into United Farm Workers, was up and running within a year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The wig business naturally evolved to the more general black hair care business.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
"The story was evolving every time we had an interaction," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
“The demands on data center infrastructure are evolving faster than ever, and Vertiv’s role in that buildout keeps expanding.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
This allows scientists to study the relationship between evolving galaxies, radiation, and the gas that fills the space between them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
In an understatement of the modern age, Anthropic says “we are subject to complex and evolving laws, regulations, and other legal obligations related to privacy and data protection.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Malcolm, always changing, always evolving toward some truth that was ultimately outside the boundaries of his life, of his body.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
