Latin ēvolvere means "to roll out or away"; Latin revolvere means "to roll back to a starting point"; and Latin dēvolvere means "to roll (something) down." In its earliest uses in the 15th century, …

Phrasal verb devolve something to someone (Definition of devolved from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Devolve definition: to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.. See examples of DEVOLVE used in a sentence.

4 meanings: 1. to pass or cause to pass to a successor or substitute, as duties, power, etc 2. law (of an estate, etc) to pass.... Click for more definitions.

1. To pass on or delegate to another: The senator devolved the duties of office upon a group of aides. 2. Archaic To cause to roll onward or downward.

Definition of devolve verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

devolve is a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: Latin dēvolvere.

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 …

Nov 15, 2025 · Despite being a unitary state, the Government of the United Kingdom devolved many matters to the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They devolved …

devolve sth to sb/sth Spending under these budget items must be devolved to local offices. The constitutional changes to devolve power to local authorities will go ahead.