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devolve

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

See also:devolvé

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed fromLatindēvolvō(“roll or tumble off or down”), fromdē +volvō(“roll”).

Pronunciation

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(UK)IPA^(key): /dɪˈvɒɫv/
(General American)IPA^(key): /dɪˈvɑlv/,/diˈ-/,/-ˈvɔlv/
Audio(Southern England): (file)
Rhymes:-ɒlv
Hyphenation:de‧volve

Verb

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devolve (third-person singular simple presentdevolves,present participledevolving,simple past and past participledevolved)

(intransitive) To beinherited by someone else; to pass downupon the next person in a succession, especially through failure or loss of an earlier holder.[from 16th c.]
Synonym:pass down
- 1932,Duff Cooper,Talleyrand, Folio Society, published2010, page 4:
  an accident […] rendered him permanently lame, and therefore unfitted him, in the opinion of his parents, to inherit his father's many titles, which, it was then arranged, shoulddevolve upon his younger brother.
(transitive) Todelegate (a responsibility, duty, etc.)on orupon someone.[from 17th c.]
Near-synonyms:pass down,pass on,hand down
1. (especially of a central government to a local one, a federal one to a federated one, etc.) To transfer authority and responsibility for (something) to (another entity).
  Despite being aunitary state, theGovernment of theUnited Kingdomdevolved many matters to the Governments ofScotland,Wales andNorthern Ireland.
  - 1704,Joseph Addison,Remarks on Several Parts of Italy:
    Theydevolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty.
  - 1756,Edmund Burke,A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful:
    An artful man became popular, the people had power in their hands, and theydevolved a considerable share of their power upon their favourite […].
  - 2020 August 26, “Network News: Shapps orders rapid review of flash flood resilience from NR”, inRail, page 8:
    Shapps retains responsibility for rail safety in Scotland, with only the operation of track and traindevolved to Transport Scotland.
(intransitive) To fall as a duty or responsibilityon orupon someone.[from 18th c.]
Coordinate term:befall
- 1922 February,James Joyce,Ulysses, Paris:Shakespeare and Company, […],→OCLC:
  , Episode 16:
  For the nonce he was rather nonplussed but inasmuch as the duty plainlydevolved upon him to take some measures on the subject he pondered suitable ways and means during which Stephen repeatedly yawned.
1. (especially of government authority) To shift or to be transferred from a central government to a local one, a federal one to a federated one, etc.
  Many legislative powersdevolved to the new Scottish parliament in 1999.
(intransitive) Todegenerate; tobreak down.[from 18th c.]
Antonyms:evolve,improve
Coordinate terms:deform,disintegrate;worsen
A discussion about politics maydevolve into a shouting match.
(obsolete, transitive) Toroll (something) down; tounroll.[15th–19th c.]
Synonym:roll down
Coordinate terms:revolve,rotate
Near-synonyms:unwind,unfurl
- 1744,Mark Akenside,The Pleasures of the Imagination, section II:
  every headlong stream /Devolves its winding waters to the main.
- 1830,Alfred, Lord Tennyson,Character:
  He spake of virtue […] And with […] a lack-lustre dead-blue eye,Devolved his rounded periods.

Usage notes

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The verb is sometimes used in the context of biology (in sense 5, "todegenerate; to break down"), but generally not by scientists as it is highly subjective.