devolution
Americannoun
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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:
On Friday, Burnham, opened his new No 10 North office in Manchester, where he intends to work at least once a week as part of his drive to increase devolution in England.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
He will also separately address youth unemployment and devolution in the coming week.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
It brings the "levers of local economic growth and devolution together under one roof for the first time", said the government.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The government says the unit, expected to be initially set up in a building currently housing intelligence service GCHQ, will be given control of aspects of local economic growth and devolution strategy.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The statement, "As one earth shall pass away and the heavens thereof, even so shall another come," corresponds somewhat to the modern scientist's notion of "evolution and devolution."
From Joseph Smith the Prophet-Teacher A Discourse by Roberts, B. H.
It did, however, mean an increasing pressure on the government for fresh devolutions of authority.
From The New World of Islam by Stoddard, Lothrop
"Oh," said Mrs. Germain, absorbed by the devolutions of the tale.
From Rest Harrow A Comedy of Resolution by Hewlett, Maurice Henry
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.
