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
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
Together, the findings provide a more detailed understanding of how pancreatic tumors evolve, resist treatment, and spread.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
“This book, more than any other book, is long, because my characters, especially Jordan, evolve in a way that I don’t think I’ve had characters evolve before,” says James.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
They were the ones we could evolve and sustain through the early millions of years of our evolutionary history, when the total human population was tiny and fragmented.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
What’s more, information technology evolves more quickly than hydrocarbons to get around shortages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The findings challenge a central assumption of modern cosmology and could help scientists better understand how the Universe evolves.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
As the tech quickly evolves, concerns are growing about the use of AI in theatres of war.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
But as AI evolves and AI actors like Tilly Norwood continue to make headlines, it’s still unclear exactly how the industry will be affected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Or it may be a repetition that gradually changes and evolves.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
CRISPR-Cas is best known for its role in modern gene-editing technologies, but bacteria originally evolved these systems as defenses against viruses.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026
What began as a chance to travel soon evolved into something more meaningful.
From BBC ● 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
“Over the past decade, private markets have evolved from an alternative source of yield into an established component of portfolios,” BlackRock strategists say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
We’d evolved this system where we called for particular favourite scenes to be played again—like, for instance, the moment the American jumps over the barbed wire on his bike in The Great Escape.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
"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
I think the CEO role is likely evolving whether or not one works at a private-equity backed company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
The salsa music was new and always evolving into something else, but it always returned to its afro-ji'baTO-antillano roots.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
