devolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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
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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:
Swinney also said he wanted Burnham to devolve energy and economic powers to Scotland.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 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
Speaking at a speech in Manchester last week, Burnham promised to devolve "deeper down" in Wales.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“Any conversation would devolve into this forensic audit of everything that had ever been purchased,” Daniel-Hoste said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 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
If the situation devolves any further, then Spurs will likely finish in the bottom three and be booted into the second-tier Championship for next season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026
Otherwise, it quickly devolves into a week-long argument with your own brain about what, exactly, counts as “essential”—and whether almond milk has somehow crossed that threshold.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2026
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
Ngata explains that the community recently signed an agreement that devolves power and decision-making authority from central government to local people, giving residents greater legislative powers.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 6, 2024
As the line devolves into a great milling mob, I slip away.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
The changes announced on Tuesday will only impact England, as education is a devolved policy area.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
On day one, Mr. Burnham already axed Keir Starmer’s unpopular digital ID plan and promised a more devolved government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
It does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, where housing is a devolved matter.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
It found that a "vast amount" of taxpayers' money was wasted on PPE - almost £10bn of the £14.9bn spent by the UK and devolved governments.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Natural history devolved into the study of nature without history.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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
The new Labour leader also outlined his plan for devolving power away from Westminster to the regions and said would be a leader for all parts of the country.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 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
But the movie itself isn’t exactly exploring new frontiers of fear, devolving instead into a familiar slasher-thriller with a climax of strained characterization and confusing spatial logic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
He has been a director in several of the most important banking and insurance institutions in the country, and has always taken his full share of the work devolving upon him.
From The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volumes 1 to 4 by Dent, John Charles
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.
