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verb [ T ] uk / dɪˈvɒlv / us / dɪˈvɑːlv / to (cause power or responsibility to) be given to other people: To be a good manager, you must know how to devolve responsibility downwards. devolve on/upon formal Those duties will necessarily devolve on/upon me. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Colonization & self-government.
1. a. : to pass by transmission or succession. the estate devolved on a distant cousin. b. : to fall or be passed usually as a responsibility or obligation. the responsibility for breadwinning has devolved increasingly upon women Barbara Ehrenreich. 2. : to come by or as if by flowing down. streams devolving from the mountains.
to give power or a responsibility to a person or group that is at a lower level or has less authority: devolve sth to sb/sth Spending under these budget items must be devolved to local offices.
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 ...
to give power or a responsibility to a person or group that is at a lower level or has less authority: devolve sth to sb/sth Spending under these budget items must be devolved to local offices.
1. (foll by on, upon, to, etc) to pass or cause to pass to a successor or substitute, as duties, power, etc. 2. (intr; foll by on or upon) law. (of an estate, etc) to pass to another by operation of law, esp on intestacy or bankruptcy. 3. (intr; foll by on or upon) to depend (on) your argument devolves on how you interpret this clause. 4. archaic.
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.
Definition of devolve verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Devolve Definition. dĭ-vŏlv. devolved, devolves, devolving. Meanings. Synonyms. Sentences. Definition Source. Origin. Verb. Filter. verb. devolved, devolves, devolving. To transfer or pass on (duties, responsibilities, etc.) to another or others. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. To pass or be transferred to another or others.
DEVOLVE meaning: 1 : to gradually go from an advanced state to a less advanced state; 2 : to pass (responsibility, power, etc.) from one person or group to another person or group at a lower level of authority + to, on, or upon.
