devolve

de·volve

 (dĭ-vŏlv′)

v. de·volved, de·volv·ing, de·volves

v.tr.

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.

v.intr.

1. To be passed on or transferred to another: The burden of proof devolved upon the defendant. The estate devolved to an unlikely heir.

2. To degenerate or deteriorate gradually: After several hours the discussion had devolved into a shouting match.

3. Archaic To roll onward or downward.

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[Middle English devolven, to transfer, from Old French devolver, to confer, ascribe, from Latin dēvolvere, to roll down, fall to : dē-, de- + volvere, to roll; see wel- in Indo-European roots.]

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de·volve′ment n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

devolve

(dɪˈvɒlv)

vb

1. (foll by: on, upon, to, etc) to pass or cause to pass to a successor or substitute, as duties, power, etc

2. (Law) (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 roll down or cause to roll down

[C15: from Latin dēvolvere to roll down, fall into, from de- + volvere to roll]

deˈvolvement n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•volve

(dɪˈvɒlv)

v. -volved, -volv•ing. v.t.

1. to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.

v.i.

2. to be transferred or passed on from one to another: The responsibility devolved on me.

3. to become simpler or disappear, esp. in the process of evolution.

[1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin dēvolvere to roll down =dē- de- + volvere to roll]

de•volve′ment, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

devolve

Past participle: devolved
Gerund: devolving

Imperative

devolve

devolve

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	devolve - pass on or delegate to another; "The representative devolved his duties to his aides while he was in the hospital" assign, delegate, designate, depute - give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person)
	2.	devolve - be inherited by; "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead" return, fall, pass change hands, change owners - be transferred to another owner; "This restaurant changed hands twice last year" light, fall - fall to somebody by assignment or lot; "The task fell to me"; "It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims" accrue, fall - come into the possession of; "The house accrued to the oldest son"
	3.	devolve - grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match" degenerate, deteriorate, drop fatigue, jade, tire, weary, pall - lose interest or become bored with something or somebody; "I'm so tired of your mother and her complaints about my food" languish, fade - become feeble; "The prisoner has be languishing for years in the dungeon" rot, waste - become physically weaker; "Political prisoners are wasting away in many prisons all over the world" decline, worsen - grow worse; "Conditions in the slum worsened"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

devolve

verb transfer, surrender, pass on, transmit, relinquish, hand down, entrust, consign, make over, cede, pass down, sign over, depute the need to decentralize and devolve power to regional governments

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

devolve

verb

To come as by lot or inheritance:

fall, pass.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

cèderedelegaredevolvere

devolve

[dɪˈvɒlv]

A. VT [+ power] → delegar; [+ government] → descentralizar

B. VI → recaer (on, upon sobre) it devolved on me to tell him → me tocó a mi decírselo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

devolve

[dɪˈvɒlv]

vt (= transfer) [+ power, responsibility] → déléguer
to devolve sth to sb [+ power, responsibility] → déléguer qch à qn
to devolve power away from → déléguer le pouvoir de

vi
to devolve on, to devolve upon (= fall) → retomber sur

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

devolve

(→ auf +acc)

vi (duty, property etc) → übergehen; the cost of the operation devolves upon the patient → die Kosten für die Operation muss der Patient tragen; it devolved on me to take the final decision → die endgültige Entscheidung fiel mir zu; the union devolved into a looser confederation of states → die Union löste sich in einen lockeren Staatenbund auf

vt duty, power etc → übertragen; a devolved government → eine dezentralisierte Regierung

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

devolve

[dɪˈvɒlv]

1. vt (power, responsibility) → devolvere

2. vi to devolve (up)on → ricadere su
it devolved on me to tell him → è stato compito mio dirglielo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995