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devolve - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'devolve' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Devolve [ v. i.]
- To pass by transmission or succession; to be handed over or down; -- generally with on or upon, sometimes with to or into; as, after the general fell, the command devolved upon (or on) the next officer in rank.
2 . Devolve [ v. t.]
- To roll onward or downward; to pass on.
- To transfer from one person to another; to deliver over; to hand down; -- generally with upon, sometimes with to or into.

Meaning of 'devolve' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . devolve [ v]
Meaning (1):
- grow worse
Example in sentence:
  • Conditions in the slum worsened;
  • Conditions in the slums degenerated;
  • Her condition deteriorated;
  • The discussion devolved into a shouting match
Meaning (2):
- be inherited by
Example in sentence:
  • The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead;
  • The estate fell to my sister;
  • The land returned to the family
Meaning (3):
- pass on or delegate to another
Example in sentence:
  • The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital

Nearby Words:

dev deva devanagari devaporation devast devastate devastated devastating devastation devastator

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