devolve

/dɪˈvɑlv/

/dɪˈvɔlv/

Other forms: devolved; devolves; devolving

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.

Definitions of devolve

1. verb

   pass on or delegate to another
   “The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital”

   type of:

   assign, delegate, depute, designate

   give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)
2. verb

   be inherited by
   “The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead”

   synonyms: fall, pass, return

   accrue, fall

   come into the possession of

   types:

   fall, light

   fall to somebody by assignment or lot

   type of:

   change hands, change owners

   be transferred to another owner
3. verb

   grow worse
   “The discussion devolved into a shouting match”

   synonyms: degenerate, deteriorate, drop

   types:

   fatigue, jade, pall, tire, weary

   lose interest or become bored with something or somebody

   fade, languish

   become feeble

   rot, waste

   become physically weaker

   gangrene, mortify, necrose, sphacelate

   undergo necrosis

   conk out, peter out, poop out, run down, run out

   use up all one's strength and energy and stop working

   retire, withdraw

   lose interest

   type of:

   decline, worsen

   grow worse