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
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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:
Every day, the technology continues to evolve, introducing new ways for people to interact with online content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Across the universe, gravity acts as an invisible framework that influences how galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the largest cosmic structures form and evolve.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
"We must continue to evolve, invest and innovate while remaining true to the principles that have brought us this far," was chairman Tony Bloom's message to fans before the 4-0 win against Aston Villa.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
As AI continues to evolve rapidly, there’s an increasingly important concept for business tech leaders to think about, and it’s called the AI model harness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
These laws may have originally been decreed by God, but it appears that he has since left the universe to evolve according to them and does not now intervene in it.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Tippett had occupied the 6,200-square-foot Berkeley facility for 35 years, but as technology evolves, the studio no longer needs the large space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
At the same time, they raise broader questions about how vision evolves, how tissues remain functional over extremely long periods and whether some of those protective mechanisms could ultimately be applied to humans.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Culture evolves, she says, and practices can be diluted or corrupted and she is showing what has happened to this one.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The longer the conflict evolves, obviously the more pressure on inflation, the more pressure on consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Among the slipperiest of all is AIDS, which evolves new antigens even as it sits within an individual patient, thereby eventually overwhelming his or her immune system.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
“Native chaparral and shrublands evolved under infrequent fire,” the scientists wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Flash forward another decade and it remains to be seen whether maternal mental healthcare — including the central question of how American society deals with mothers in extremis — has evolved.
From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026
Trial attorney Shaun Kent said the case really evolved with each interview and moment that Davis decided to open his mouth and talk about the case more.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Because the evolved supergiant is expected to eventually end its life in a supernova explosion, the dramatic dimming prompted speculation that the star might be preparing to explode.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Yeah, I guess it just kind of evolved into that. We all have our own skill sets. Turns out I’m pretty handy,” he says with pride.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
GS: It seems like you’re evolving as an artist through different mediums.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
That suggests the regions are not evolving independently.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Patent expiry is a natural part of a pharmaceutical product life cycle,” a Novo Nordisk spokesman said, adding that the company is “well equipped to navigate the evolving landscape that accompanies loss of exclusivity.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Central bank chief Safwat Raslan lauded the development, adding that his institution was "working to build a modern and reliable financial system capable of evolving with developments and taking advantage of all opportunities."
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
In this sense, the Art of Fugue and the St. Matthew Passion were, for the evolving organism of human thought, feathered wings, apposing thumbs, new layers of frontal cortex.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
