Nearby Words
noun
1.
the act or fact of devolving; passage onward from stage to stage.
2.
the passing on to a successor of an unexercised right.
3.
Law. the passing of property from one to another, as by hereditary succession.
4.
Biology. degeneration.
5.
the transfer of power or authority from a central government to a local government.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Devolutionist
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
| devolution (ˌdiːvəˈluːʃən) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the act, fact, or result of devolving |
| 2. | a passing onwards or downwards from one stage to another |
| 3. | another word for degeneration |
| 4. | a transfer or allocation of authority, esp from a central government to regional governments or particular interests |
| [C16: from Medieval Latin dēvolūtiō a rolling down, from Latin dēvolvere to roll down, sink into; see | |
| devo'lutionary | |
| —adj | |
| devo'lutionist | |
| —n, —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
devolution
1545, from de- + (e)volution. Used in various legal and fig. senses; in biology, as the opposite of evolution, it is attested from 1882.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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