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
- devolvement noun
Etymology
Origin of devolve
1375–1425; late Middle English devolven < Latin dēvolvere to roll down, equivalent to dē- de- + volvere to roll
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.
Surely voters can be expected to blame them for what has happened and look to somebody else to be running their devolved government for the next five years?
From BBC
With time running out to save its star-crossed season, USC put itself in position for a statement-making Saturday, only to see that dream devolve into a nightmare in an 82-67 loss to No. 12 Nebraska.
From Los Angeles Times
That could cause a correction to devolve into a bear market.
From Barron's
That could cause a correction to devolve into a bear market.
From Barron's
That could cause a correction to devolve into a bear market.
From Barron's
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.
